Midwinter Dream
by Aura Depths
Summary: Part 2: The sequel story to Spring Fever, this is how the plot continues. Switching points of view, this part is going to show how Kagome relates to what has happened, and what will happen. SesshomaruxKagome. :D There will be more romance in this one.
1. Her Solitude

**:NOTICE:** This story is a **sequel**. Its predecessor is called Spring Fever. If you don't mind being a tad confused, then by all means continue reading.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Inuyasha series, as it is © to Rumiko Takahashi, and her original characters are hers as well. If I _did_ own all of that, you'd know.

**A/N:** Part two! So to speak. I wasn't expecting this story to take so long, but what can I say... Well, my previous readers are not here to read an Author's Note, so on with the plot!

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**Chapter 1**

**Her Solitude**

"Kagome!" the motherly voice echoed across the stone courtyard of the Higurashi Shrine. The glimmering setting sun bathed the ancient stones in a warm light and made the small snow mounds look foreign to the area.

Taking a slow inhale, Kagome carefully gathered her energy back to herself and exhaled a small cloud of steam. Training was now easier since she was able to fully purify the demonic essence in her shoulder three years ago. Now she continued her training in private determination. She would go through the well again some day, whether it wanted her to or not.

"Coming!" she yelled, uncrossing her legs and hopping off the short stone wall a certain demon used to favor. It really was a good spot.

She and her family had been living very well for the last few years, considering Bashamon was so considerate as to apologize for ruining the shrine grounds with unfathomably sized diamonds. Kagome's grandfather still kept most of them hidden for any sort of emergency, but the money they received from the three they sold was enough to send _all_ of them through a comfortable life and into retirement, and because of that Sota was determined to get top grades so he could study abroad for college.

College...

Kagome didn't continue her schooling after graduating. She had finished high school a year ago, and while her friends went off to continue their studies and excel in careers Kagome stayed home. Not only was she attempting to make the well function again, but she was trying to lead a life which didn't revolve around school or the feudal era. She decided that after this year, if her efforts and struggles happened to be for naught, then college it would be and the past left behind.

She really hoped to see everyone again though... She never got to say goodbye.

"Honey, eat the asparagus, it's good for you."

"Mama, you know I hate this stuff," Kagome replied, watching as the nigh melted stick of green filth slowly crept from between her chopsticks and splattered back onto the plate, small pieces fraying away like wet hair. Nasty stuff, nothing made it taste good. It looked funny too...

"I know, but would you please eat some more vegetables for your lessons tomorrow?" her mom prompted sweetly. Sweetness should have been entitled a sin if given in excess. She really was a great mother, but sometimes love could go more than a long way.

"Mama, I'm twenty. I know what's good for me and what's not, and I've been taking kendo for a really long time now. If anything this stuff will make me sick as a dog."

Dogs... Ugh... Stupid men.

Her mother offered a smile, the one she wore when she knew she was being beaten in an argument. Just watch, now the slight guilt trip will come...

"I just worry with how you spar with that boy after classes. You come home with bruises sometimes, and I don't want my little girl going into that unprepared."

"His name's Keiji, mama," Kagome informed. "And the demons four years ago were worse for your even littler girl, trust me."

Four years... Time flew.

The 'even littler' version of Kagome would have probably been affronted at saying such a thing to her mother, but the reality of things was that she was not a little girl anymore.

"Bruises?" Sota asked. His voice had changed so much over the years. "You're giving them back, right?"

"Amply," Kagome replied.

"That's no way for a man to treat a lady!" Grandpa yelled, completely affronted with this topic.

_'Even lords give ladies bruises...'_ Kagome thought to herself, pinching her chopsticks a tad more tightly than need be. That asshole... She should be **grateful** that he was finally gone...

Yes. Grateful. He was so utterly annoying, and when stoic bastard'ism combined with mindless arousal capabilities that made for a mess.

"I have to go do stretches," Kagome excused herself, taking her plate and forcing the horrid vegetables down her throat on the way to the kitchen. She nearly gagged as a piece stuck out of her mouth, rinsing her dish in hot water and putting it in the soapy half of the sink. Swallowing the wretched stuff she grabbed two reused bottles of water, downed a separate glass from the tap, and headed for her room.

Locking the door behind herself, so as to not be disturbed, Kagome glanced in the corner to see the ancient sword and mysterious bow propped up there. The bow was black, and she had found it lying in the courtyard the day after Bashamon's attack. It was a really good bow, as she had used it in her years of archery in high school, but still its origin lingered on her mind whenever she glanced at it...

Oh well. That was a long time ago anyway. She barely remembered it.

After ten minutes she changed into the royal blue haori and black hakama she once used for martial arts. The sleeves and pants seemed to have shortened, but she had simply grown. Grabbing her shinai, she threw it out the window with her backpack and crept from her room.

"Off to exercise outside?" Sota asked, studying for another straight A in math.

"Yep! You know what to do."

"Be silent," he replied, pencil twirling between his fingers. "Got it. Dish him a good one, sis."

She smiled. Her brother was pretty cool. Sneaking out the door she went outside her window and retrieved the bamboo sword, which she tucked through an exposed hakama strap, and backpack and went to meet Keiji.

"Bruises?"

"Apologize for them and I swear I'll give you more," Kagome threatened after sharing the funny dinner story. Tossing him the second water bottle from her backpack they had a seat on the park bench. It was probably midnight now and they were both beat. The winter ladden breeze always felt good though during a break.

"Sure you will," he replied. "So, how many minutes do you need?"

"Quit acting tough," she replied. She had met Keiji in her first year of high school in the archery club. They'd been friendly rivals ever since, which they both enjoyed because Kagome proved to be a worthy sparing partner over the years and he was a guy who didn't mind being beaten by a girl. He wore an outfit which matched hers, as they had also been in the same martial arts class. Now swords were their thing, which was good because Kagome felt like she was continuing what she started so long ago.

"I don't need to act to be tough," he replied with a smirk. Ugh... He was giving her that look again... "So, Kagome, I was think-"

"You don't think."

He stopped at her interruption. "Do too."

"Do not," she replied. "You were going to ask a question you already knew the answer to."

He sighed. "Come on. Taking you to dinner can't be that agonizing of an ice breaker."

Kagome internally rolled her eyes. She didn't want to date him, and he knew it, and perhaps her not wanting him made her seem all the more desirable. Still, he was as persistent as Hojo had been. He and Yuka were quite the couple now. "It can be if you don't come out unscathed."

He laughed. "I have yet to see you kick my ass."

Within four minutes Kagome had kicked his ass.

"See?" she asked with a smirk, the white top of her sword at his torso. "Now imagine how pretty a fancy restaurant around us would be right now."

"You're playing hard to get," he laughed, arms moving quickly to shift his weight. Kagome easily jumped over his attempt to trip her and clobbered the top of his head before running off. Running was a big part of their free-style sparing, right up there with bruises. The one reason she hated running more than bruises though was his being faster.

She ducked under his attempt to strike the outside of her right arm, leaped backwards from a crouch, and stuck his stomach with her sword when he turned to counter.

"Too slow," she informed, inviting him to sit with her by taking his feet from under him with the move he tried earlier.

"Yeah, well, you train more," he countered, smiling nonetheless. "How come you're so much better?"

Her spirits fell slightly. "Because I have an ass other than yours to kick."

"I'm sure you'd succeed," he replied. "Is he in the upcoming tournament?"

She shook her head, feeling a bead of sweat dislodge from the peach fuzz of her forehead and begin to trickle. She caught it with a sleeve. "He's good enough to not worry about tournaments."

Keiji quirked a well sculpted eyebrow at her. "Oh really?"

"Yeah," she replied. "He's foreign too, so no asking for an address."

"Damn," he chuckled. "And here I thought I'd be free of sparing with you."

She laughed, which confused him. If only he knew this jackass, then he'd know that even together neither of them stood much of a chance. Unless she involved some of her powers, then she would say she had a _very_ decent chance at payback.

Payback... She daydreamed about it daily. Even now as she moved various objects across her desk with her spiritual powers she thought of how Sesshomaru had ruined her dating life without ever even trying. She didn't know why, but no matter how many guys she dated after his month of being stuck in the future none of them outdid the demon. It wasn't power she was looking for, and certainly not beauty. There was just something she had found in Sesshomaru, and she couldn't see it in anyone else. So, because of that, no one else would suffice.

"Jerk," she muttered, sending the pencil rocketing off the edge of the desk, behind herself, then back onto the surface. She was still fascinated with her ability to move things like this, which all started long ago with propelling popcorn. She decided that even Sesshomaru didn't have this much control over objects he focused on, or else he would have used that ability in battle. So, it was the little ace up her sleeve, and it would work if she trained her deck to have fifty two aces...

Returning the pencil to its holder, Kagome sighed and stared at the bottle of soapy water which was her challenger. Deciding that staring wasn't enough, she got onto her bed and into the position she saw Miroku assume on some mornings. Getting her legs crossed upside down, which she got use to after the first year, she turned the backs of her hands onto her knees and took in a breath.

Still, no matter how much she meditated and honed her concentration, whenever she tried to capture a bubble with her powers it either imploded or exploded.

This time she had two implosions, and she glared at the specks of soap which rained down onto the carpet. They represented her consistent lack of control.

"HAH!!"

Kagome blocked the attack of her sparing buddy for that day more than easily, and the girl went stumbling and ripped off her mask in a fit of rage.

"Sensei!" the brat yelled, jabbing a finger at Kagome. "She's cheating!!"

...

It's fairly hard to cheat in a fight... Oh well. The child's plan backfired anyway when the Sensei had Kagome demonstrate her 'cheat' in front of the rest of the class. It ended in giggles and a disappointed finger-pointing brat.

"Alright," Sensei wrapped it up. "Kagome, partner with Keiji for the rest of the day. And try to stick to the rules, you two."

Even through her mask an his, Kagome knew Keiji was smiling happily. He loved sparing with her, whereas she preferred sparing with the Sensei to test her individual methods against hard-trained routine. She lost every time thus far, despite how that jerk had told her to just learn the basics first.

"So, feeling hungry?" Keiji asked when he faced her.

"Not really," she replied, squatting into the formal beginning position. She hated the routines. "I don't think about my stomach every minute."

"Apparently," he replied, lifting himself in time with her from the pose. They matched swords, right feet out.

Once the Sensei told them to begin the rules went sailing merrily out of the window.

"Told you she cheats..." the brat commented as she watched Kagome and Keiji try desperately to land the first flesh blow of several parried. Sensei simply crossed his arms and waited for them to finish, and noticing as much was what got Kagome's shoulder cracked down on.

"Son of a-!" she whimpered, clasping it and kneeling down. Keiji laughed, so she double-handedly lifted her sword between his legs and floored him.

"Alright, alright!" Sensei yelled, clapping his hands. "Keep it clean, you two."

"I was planning on kids, you know," Keiji commented, sitting on the sidelines with her as class continued to its completion.

"I was planning on being able to lift a sword, you know," she retorted, icing her shoulder. Men...

"Think you can lift some chopsticks?" he asked, icing his groin. Didn't that hurt??

"Up your nose, yes," she retorted, smiling though. His persistence was heartwarming, but he needed to find another girl to torment. She had been trying to tell him that through years with her lacking interest and nigh brutal sarcasm, but it was like trying to beat down bricks with a river reed.

"Good enough," he replied. "Let's go eat something."

Lunches she didn't mind eating with guys. He treated, as per usual, and she discovered the voracious appetite she had worked up that day. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet (well, she didn't consider a squat container of yogurt to be breakfast) so food was a blessing.

"Storing for the winter?" he asked jokingly as she feasted. They had a very dry sense of humor with one another.

"Guaranteeing my being able to smack your shoulder first next time," she replied before stuffing a few more french fries into her mouth. He smiled at her. He had a pretty smile. He looked a whole lot better out of uniform too. She then proceeded to give herself a brain freeze with the slushie and bickered about it from behind her hands. She laughed at herself with him on that note.

"So, are we meeting up again tonight?" he asked as he walked her home across the icy sidewalks, matching her stride so their sword ends didn't collide.

"Not tonight," she replied. "I have things to do."

"Anything I can help with?"

"... You could be a target!" she offered cheerily as they reached the foot of the stairs to the shrine.

"Depending on what's being thrown at me, I'd consider it," he replied in a cheesy manner. He really did try, but despite his efforts she still put a finger to his descending lips.

"Not today?" he asked, backing off. He was used to this, as was she since lifting her hand to block him was almost habit.

She shook her head and gave him a friendly hug instead. "You're hopeless..."

"I'll get you one of these days," he jested, returning the quick embrace. She highly doubted it though. Only one person had ever stolen a kiss from her. Twice, actually. The first time she was in a lustful daze in a dark room and staring into glowing orb, and the second time she was half asleep and still recovering from a slight concussion...

"I may move away before that happens," she replied, punching his sternum as she usually did before heading up the steps. 'Move away' was her secret code for 'go back in time like some character out of a fantasy novel and never come back if that well had anything to say about it.'

"I'll see you tomorrow, then!"

She waved goodbye without looking and finished jogging up the steps despite the ice hazard.

She found herself in a good meditation session when Sota opened her bedroom door without knocking.

"Hey sis, got a pencil?" She absentmindedly waved one at him, and he grabbed it out of the air. "You know I hate it when you do that..."

"At least it wasn't an arrow," she retorted. "And learn to knock."

He leaned in the door frame, writing in an answer before making a reply. "You need a boyfriend to get rid of that attitude of yours..."

"It's because of a guy that I have it," she bit back. "Now leave before I pump you full of pencil lead."

He laughed, which was the final step needed to completely dislodge her from her meditative state, and he fended off the slipper she threw at him with the door. She got up and locked it. She really didn't like being in such an emotional rut and letting it shine gloriously onto others, but having a demon lodged in your head for four years and show up in your dreams all that time to steal kisses and nibble your neck... No, she wasn't happy. She was going back in time to wreak vengeance all over the place for it too.

She sighed, got into position again, and when she was just starting to slip into another blessed state of mindlessness something kicked her senses right in the head.

"Kagome?" her mom asked, surprised to see her daughter rushing down the stairs so quickly in her socks that she nearly decapitated herself on the railing. How that was possible, she didn't know, but considering it _was_ Kagome then it was indeed possible.

Heated conversation follow Kagome out of the house as she ran through the snow in just her socks for the Bone Eater's Well, and when she slammed open the ancient doors and rushed down the steps she was certain of it.

"... Kagome??" her mom asked again, having just caught up only to have her daughter go charging back for the house.

"I gotta pack!!" she cheered, almost skipping if doing so wouldn't waste time. It could close at any second, and she needed to grab some things.

She really did feel horrible for leaving so suddenly, but her family accepted it. They knew she would want to leave promptly once the well opened again.

"Here you go dear," her mom said while packing a week's supply of individually wrapped beef jerky into the front of her backpack along with some dried fruits. "Are you sure you want to go in the winter? You could wait for spring."

"Of course I don't want to wait!" Kagome replied, trying to hoist the bag onto her shoulders. After loosening the straps it was accomplished. "The village is right next to the well, I'll be fine! I'm not camping or anything."

"You look silly..." Sota commented as Kagome pulled the somewhat long sleeves through the backpack straps. She wore more clothes underneath the outfit, mostly to keep warm, and so she was bulging in places with her fat yellow backpack on, her bow and a quiver, the real sword Sesshomaru had retrieved for her from the shrine at her hip and a smile on her face.

"Cram it," she replied, giving him the embrace of death. "... I'll be back for your graduation, alright?"

"Think you'll make it?" Sota asked.

"Of course I will!" she scoffed. "What kind of a sister would miss out on gathering your finished homework and spraying it like confetti over your head?"

He smiled. "I'll miss you too. Take care."

"Are you sure you don't want these sutras??" Grandpa asked, holding out a stack of paper as thick as a wrist.

"Pretty sure," she replied, bending down and giving him a hug. Her mom packed something else in her bag, probably bandages, and when she finished Kagome turned and hugged her as well.

"I love you sweetie," she sighed, her voice shaky with held back tears. After four years it must have been hard to see Kagome disappear again so suddenly. "Be happy."

... Happy? "I will be," Kagome guaranteed with a smile. They walked her outside to the well, and after another round of hugs they decided to see her off. She hated those farewells where everyone stared, but wiping the tears from her eyes she gave them as cheery a smile as she could and hopped off the lip for the bottom before she could begin hoping to any deity ever to exist that it worked.

She landed in four feet of snow. Face first.

"Ah!" she yelled, shocked and suddenly cold despite her layers. Well, she was expecting to be cold. Kagome quickly stood and looked around. She was in a clearing, and there was the tree!! But... Where was the well? Oh, screw the well, she was BACK!! She was there! Or rather, she was here! And so was everyone else! Ok, kami, she was crying like an idiot!

Then the snow started to melt down her chest and around her ankles.

"AAAAH!!" she cried, repeatedly, as she went running for the village. Despite the pain and shock of that her senses picked up a somewhat weak demon in the proximity, but it quickly left when she arrived. That was odd... Oh well, her feet were freezing off, back to leaping like a gazelle as well as she could with twenty pounds on her back and snow up to her waist.

"Kaede!!" Kagome cried happily upon entering the small house she was still so familiar with. No one was there though. "... I'd feel sorry for anyone giving birth in this season," she commented to the silence, looking around. "Kaede? Kaede-baa-chan? Are you here??"

She searched for the old face she hadn't seen for so long, and would have been afraid of her having passed away if not for the far too familiar herbal bags stashed away in a room to dry. Then again, such things were in practice for mikos... But, she had to still be alive. Kagome could smell the familiar odors associated with the elderly woman hanging heavily in the rooms.

"Inuyasha!" she yelled out the heavy duty reed door flap. "Miroku! Sango! Shippo!"

There was silence, and small white flakes began drifting down from the sky. She let the door fall heavily shut to settle squarely in its frame.

Oh well, she had time. The place was warm and stacked wood promised more heat, so Kagome piled some onto the dimming coals and stared as the new logs were licked black before catching flame. It was interesting to watch a fire come to life when you knew the snow was falling right outside... It was so warm too, and it danced...

There was a wild clatter and Kagome startled awake. Ceramic pieces rolled and spun while green water splashed and spread, but that wasn't interesting.

"Oh, child!" Kaede cried faintly, holding a hand over her heart as a warm smile lifted her heavy cheeks. "You're back!" She had just returned, door still jostling and snow clinging to her shoulders.

Kagome smiled, standing and hugging her grandmother figure in life. "I'm back!" Those blasted tears returned.

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**A/N:** So, I'm wondering how many people are continuing with the story! :D Aside from that, I was really shocked to start writing in Kagome's point of view! You know how a characters' mindset can just infest your own and make things easy for you to write? Sesshomaru never really did that for me, now Kagome's POV seems _easy_!! Yes, a female mind is what I understand!

Anyway, because of that I may be updating more frequently now! I'm not sure though, it all depends on the muse. And my ability to sleep, it's five a.m. already... XP

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this! Reviews please!


	2. Encounters

**A/N:** Alright, I won't bore you with too many words. Everyone seems really excited to have this story continue anyway. :D

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**Chapter 2**

**Encounters**

"Wow..." was all Kagome could say as another log was put on the fire to keep the room and tea kettle plenty hot. She was dumbfounded that Sango and Miroku already had three children, and being dumbfounded at the beginning of such a long story left her still catching up and gathering facts after it ended. "So, Sango's village is revived?"

Kaede nodded, cheery for once with her surprise guest. "Hers was not the only slayer's village. Once she discovered she was with child, Miroku and Inuyasha went to various villages to find slayers who would help revive the lost base. She was raised in one, so it is only fitting that she raise her children there now. Miroku is able to hold a job while living there as well. When not demon slaying with Inuyasha in different villages, he blesses weapons being forged to make them stronger, and stronger weapons means smaller groups for many well paying tasks."

"I'm glad to hear it," Kagome replied, smiling widely. "Is Sango still going with the groups?"

"That, you would have to ask her," Kaede replied. "With twin girls and an infant son, I would suppose not. But, Sango can be an unpredictable one."

Kagome was struck with the mental image of Sango going into battle with the boy strapped to her back and the girls bearing weapons at her heels. It, oddly enough, was rather fitting. But Kagome supposed that Sango's motherly instinct was still strong enough to spare them more childhood scars than they'd get simply being in a weapon filled village.

Kagome was invited to stay the night, and was promised better winter-worthy attire and directions on how to get to the slayer's village by the time she awoke.

Despite the thin and somewhat uncomfortable mat she slept on with her sleeping bag, Kagome couldn't complain about how she slept. She had another pleasing dream. After four years, her mind was well trained on what her body craved, save her mind needed some creativity when it came to the men involved in them...

She rolled onto her back to go back to sleep, and woke up with the feeling of heavy fabrics being dropped onto her stomach.

"Time for an early start," came Kaede's voice. She sounded far away for having dropped the clothes, and Kagome had to look to see she had only turned her back. "Get dressed and ready. I can only walk you so far with these old joints. The cold grasps my knees too firmly after a while, but I have faith you will make it just fine."

Kagome was still blinking sleep from her eyes. Wha? She was going?? ... Was she being kicked out, or did Kaede understand that she really missed the others? Her emotions wanted to feel affronted with the first assumption, but she sighed and told herself it was the latter. She couldn't hold on to childish thoughts at her age. Unless they revolved around the prick in her life, then by all means...

Grabbing what she thought was the white haori of a priestes like she had worn before with red hakama, she lifted the pants instead.

"Why are they white?"

Kaede regarded her. "It is the middle of winter, dear. We can whiten clothes in the purifying process, but the trade routes are blocked this year. Come back in the spring and we will have the dye needed to change them."

"No, it's fine," she replied, feeling how much heavier the winter fabrics were than the summer ones. They felt at least four layers thicker in some places, like the knees and rump. There was a thinner outfit underneath the one in her hands though, and when she dressed with that one underneath she was relieved to know that it was just loose enough to trap the especially warm air her outer clothing kept secured against her body. The pants tied around her ankles too, which was _awesome_!! She'd have toasty feet when she arrived rather than cold and soggy!

Speaking of feet...

"Oh, wow," Kagome found herself breathing when Kaede returned. She had a pair of off white leather boots, and Kagome assumed that again there was a lacking in the proper dyes to make them black.

"These are made from the skins of a sika deer," Kaede explained. "Layered and sealed with fat, they will keep you warm and dry."

"Oh, wow," Kagome repeated, receiving them. They were light weight for how they looked, and shiny. Very shiny. The inside though was red with some white spots. "... Is this fur?"

Kaede nodded. "The best way to keep one's feet thawed in constant snow."

Kagome was indeed a tad grossed out, but her appreciation knew no bounds. Kaede showed her how to bind up the first shoe, which was a tad more complicated than need be, but Kagome tied the other thin leather straps just fine. Well, close to fine.

"Too tight, dear," Kaede told her when she slipped a finger into the shoe. "Let it breathe. No need to be so tight when your hakama block the snow."

"I feel like my foot can swim in the other shoe though," Kagome informed. Her toes had plenty of room as they nestled amongst the already warm fur.

"To stay warm, you need circulation of blood and air," Kaede notified her. "I assume things are easier in your time, but remember you will be out in the wild for at least three days. To start with sweating feet means to end with blackened toes."

... Ew... "Alright. Kaede-baa-chan knows best after all," Kagome agreed, loosening her boot.

"That she does," Kaede replied with a smile. "Remember to be able to press three fingers into the the boot when you are done with tying. They may feel loose, but the fur will keep them on.

By the time they left Kagome felt like a ghost. The only things not white about her were her eyes, hair and weapons. Even her skin had paled considerably during the fall. Kaede proved her wisdom once again though, because by the time they stopped an hour later so she could turn back Kagome's toes were still toasty and the shoes were indeed still in place.

"Thank you SO much!" Kagome thanked the elder woman with a hug. "I'll come back and visit you soon!"

"You better," Kaede replied. "My home is not a storage shack for your backpack."

That made Kagome laugh. She was traveling light this trip, and whatever food or bandages she could need were stored in the long tapered ends of her sleeves. She had a blanket as well, which Kaede insisted she take. She had made Kagome strip a layer so as to wrap the thing like a towel around her chest for when she walked. It still held her body at a firm temperature.

"You take care now," Kaede bid to her. "No running. Running means a lack of energy when you need it, loosened hakama ties around the ankles, and the possibility of tripping. Take your time."

"I will," Kagome promised, standing straight with a clatter as the arrows shifted position in their nicely stocked quiver. Even though she was armed with her long range weapon, at which she excelled, she also had the real sword at her side as well. She had tucked away a fabric the size of a wash cloth and a small amount of balm wrapped in its corner to condition the blade whenever it needed. Another gift from Kaede.

Kagome felt odd walking away as the elder woman watched, but she was soon out of sight in the dense forest. The snow had ceased falling, for now, but here in the woods it gathered quietly in the canopy, and the only noise to echo off the barren trees was that of clumps finally shifting from branch to ground. They made Kagome startle for the first few hours, but after that she accepted the noise as a part of her surrounding. By the time she decided to take her first break, stamping flat some snow and laying out the oiled skin tucked away behind her quiver to sit down on, Kagome was greeted by an animal which she beat in age by over five hundred years.

"Hey little guy," she smiled at the light and curious sparrow who tilted his head in about ten different directions to figure out what she was. Turning quite fast in the opposite direction on his branch, he gave Kagome a quick one-eye regard before leaping off and chirping eagerly to the silence, sending a white mist of cold to land a few feet away from her.

Kagome continued ten minutes and a beef jerky stick later, shaking any beads of water her warmth created on the underside of the cloth before folding it up and securing it to the quiver once more. She began thinking on how she was ever going to sleep comfortably as the sun began to set hours later, but the most splendid looking pine tree with long reaching branches weighed down with snow invited her with great promise.

"Ow," she muttered, some needles pricking her palms as she shook off a spare amount of winter's frost so the limb lifted. It made for a beautiful door to the space preserved underneath, and she found herself to be the luckiest girl alive to only have to clear away a few inches of pine needles for flat dirt. She was thinking that someone divine was brilliant to make those needles acidic enough to kill other plants.

Once her blanket was removed and unfolded she lay down on the stiff skin, wincing at the cold earth as it greeted her side with a numbing warmth, and huddled onto her side. Her stomach also hurt, but Kagome didn't want to trek hundreds of feet through the night just to avoid the scent of food being around. She slept on an empty stomach instead, her weapons propped against the trunk at her back.

It felt like only a few seconds of blackness had passed before a shrill morning song had her startling awake and onto her hands and knees. Her head hit the cold-stiffened branch at the same time she realized how agonizingly stiff her limbs were.

"Oooooow..." she seethed, shifting her body in slow yet jerky gestures so she sat on her rump. Her hair was a mess, which meant that mother nature really didn't mind there being a bump under it, and her back was killing her. She hated the ground... It was good for her feet, and that was about it.

Eating only half her fill in beef jerky she continued on her way, imagining that after another day she'd do anything for a strawberry after all this meat...

"I'm a bitch, I'm a lover," Kagome found herself singing as she trudged onward through the repetitive scenery. It was a song Ayame had shared with her a while back, of course being in English for the sole purpose of practicing her accent. She wanted to be a translator, and so Kagome was now stuck with the chorus on loop in her head as she dragged herself onward. "I'm a child, I'm a mother! I'm a sinner, I'm a saint! I **do** not feel ashamed! I'm you're _hell_, I'm your _dream_! I'm **nothin**' in between you know you wouldn't want it any other way!"

She paused in her panting to grab a clump of snow off some pine needles, and shoving it into her mouth she pretended for all she was worth that it was the best frappuccino to ever be made and chewed. It melted faster if she chewed it, and it gave her something to do with her mouth other than sing while drooling half-melted snow...

Swallowing, she sighed, and her breath came back cold. Her entire face was cold. The day was absolutely frigged and she would like nothing more than to turn around and go back to sleep. That, however, would be very dumb of her...

"Where was I...? Bitch, lover ... hell, I'm your dream... Hm-hm-hm-wouldn't want it any other way! So... Damn... So, ah, take me as I am! This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man! Rest assured, that when I start to – to something, and today won't mean a THING!"

She knew she butchered that. Thusly why only the chorus was in her head... It actually stayed there, because while her mind was focused on songs Ayame sent her the runner up was something called 'Barbie Girl'... Oh, kami, that one made Kagome scared. So, of course, she recorded it, duct tapped the recorder above Sota's door and hit play before running off to school for the day... He hadn't said anything, but Kagome found her payback in a fascinating and artistic rendition of toilet paper and what must have been a whole jar of raisins in her room... He really did have splendid ways to get back at her.

Anyway, back to being a bitch... "-I'm a lover! I'm a child, I'm a m-YEEEH!!"

She nearly fell on her ass when something jumped not three feet in front of her. It immediately ran away to leave her alone with her racing heart.

"... A rabbit??" she asked, the blood pounding through her ears still. She began laughing at herself. "A rabbit! A normal rabbit! Haha!! Not a demon! I was scared of a _bunny_!"

Then the things which were chasing said little bunny came crashing into sight and onward, and one of them stilled in front of her.

A wolf looked simply _terrifying_ when you saw it in the dead of winter and when it stopped chasing a tiny rabbit for food with five others to look at you... It must have been starving.

"... Hi," Kagome offered. At least her heart simply gave up and self-terminated to spare her the blood pounding in her ears.

The wolf abruptly jumped in place and landed with its forelegs stretched out, neck fur spiked, and teeth glistening. Its lips twitched, Kagome noted, while it growled at her.

"..." Thusly, a human learned that silence was a _good_ thing... Until the wolf moved again, then Kagome wanted to be anything but silent. The wolf took a few steps towards her, her hand clasped over the hilt of her sword, and it stopped upon sniffing the air.

Kagome, stunned, watched as the poor animal suddenly crept onto its belly and whined.

...

Apparently, this was one of Koga's...

Kagome then proceeded to watch how that one whine turned to a grand total of six...

Her shoulders slumped, and she tried to blow her bangs out of her face with a vexed sigh as she stared at the party of groveling fur. The hair went flopping back over her eyes. What _was_ it with her and canines?? She was never getting a puppy, even if her life depended on it. It would be the thing to put her six feet under, she just knew it.

"You know, you guys owe me," Kagome stated to herself, watching six tails fluff the snow like it was pillow stuffing as she handed them each a section of dried meat. Ugh... That meant she had two left for tomorrow, and Kaede said the trip could be longer. If she got lost, which would be a sin in and of itself, she'd probably die. The only things to eat here were pine needles, sparrows, and quick-footed hares. ... Then again, if you seasoned a rabbit with pine and sparrow, or skipped the seasoning and just slowly roasted it over a spit...

Great, now her disgusting imagination had her stomach demanding food.

"You owe me **big** time," she restated, emphasizing the word big by making the six wrappers very small in her hands before tucking them away. She'd burn them the next time she saw a fire.

Looking up from her garbage bag sleeve, she gave the wolves a flat stare as they innocently sought more food.

"Go beg your leader for food, not me," she told them. They didn't listen. "Go. Away. Beg to Koga. ... Now."

They still didn't listen...

Alright then... They were canines, right?? Breaking off a stick from a tree, Kagome waggled it and threw the darn thing as far as she could.

The wolves regarded her like she was special... In a very special sort of special way.

"Shut UP and fetch!" she yelled, pointing at the stick that was probably buried under five feet of snow from throwing momentum anyway. A few of the wolves wagged their tails, laughing at her as they panted. "UGH!! You need to be trained!" The rest wagged their tails too. "... You now what? Fine! I'm on my way now, and you can sit here and beg the memory of me!"

They stood and backed away when Kagome walked straight through the crowd of them, hands raised as a sign of her surrendered attempt and to show she held no food.

A grand half an hour later, Kagome _still_ refused to acknowledge the fact that those wolves were tailing her...

"Every thing's fine," she told herself. "Just you wait, Kagome! Koga's going to come whirling in to save the day again at any minute!"

Two hundred and thirty eight minutes later, Kagome decided to give up on that vague hope.

"So, I've decided," she began, still not turning around to see the six smiling, panting, tongue-lolling faces, "that if anything, I'm using all of you as a social distraction."

There were no protests, so she decided to spill the last few years of her heart and soul out to these dumb hungry beasts as she followed the now setting sun over a large fallen tree. The wolves jumped over it easily, whereas she thought she pulled her crotch muscle trying to do it in one leap of a step. That wasn't her most brilliant of plans.

"Oh, sure, make it look so easy," she scoffed at the still clueless animals. "That reminds me of him, too. The only difference is that he was less furry in places and didn't have the balls to pant."

Her crowd went silent, and she looked around to see that they were all simply distracted at the same time. When they saw her looking at them they continued to pant and wag their bushy tails. "Ugh... Why me? First I'm stuck with Inuyasha for almost a year, then Sesshomaru for a month... Am I bound to be followed by all of you for a week now?!"

Their tails wagged harder.

"... Well, I suppose that if that's the way things work, the next dog I run into I'll only have to suffer with for a day... Maybe it'll be Sesshy. I have to say 'thanks' to him sometime, and I can't think of any way for him to swallow it easily. Which is a bonus, actually. While he chokes I might have a few seconds to savor it before decapitation..."

A wolf actually scoffed at her, mouth still smiling as it breathed laboriously, then rolled a few times in the snow and shook off.

"Yeah, you're right," Kagome sighed, continuing on her way. "I'm a big talker... Just you wait though, I'll get him back. That jackass not only took the Jewel with him to this time to seal the well, but he also took a month of my time and slaughtered it beforehand, and right between those two events he took my dignity too! Ugh! You should have seen me! I was getting to be ridiculously head over heals for him, which is SUCH a scary thing, you have NO idea! That guy could probably kill his first child without blinking... And so, after everything he did, and everything we did, and just everything in general, what does he do? I'll tell you what he does, he freakin rips the well right out of the freakin ground and calls it good! Oh, he'll be shocked to see me. I'm going to make his life the replicated living hell he put me through!"

The wolves stopped when she did, and she turned around to regard them with a hand on her hip. Dang, she was panting too... "You think he has anything like servants, or is he just a wandering regal jerk?"

There was no answer, so she gave a 'huh' of consideration to fill in the silence and walked onward. "I hope he does have servants... It would be great to embarrass him in front of them before one thing led to another."

The same wolf scoffed again. Did it have something up its nose?? She had a feeling that her guides to the 'deep end' were beginning to figure her out though.

"You know what's the worse part about this though?? Is that I _want_ to kick his ass, and I _want_ to scream in his face about all of the things that have been wrong in my life since he entered it... Then when I would be done with that, I'd want to tackle him to the ground and make him beg for mercy..."

She shivered, not for the cold though. "That'd be nice... Oye, those dreams are getting to me..." Her foot sank especially deep into the snow, but she didn't curse over it. "Maybe I'd beg for mercy too? Seems like he'd want to invoke as much... Hm..."

Yanking herself viciously from her feminine daze of pretty hair, Kagome actually felt kind of embarrassed. Even in front of the wolves.

"Tell anyone all that, and I'll-"

She turned around to a lacking audience. They were gone?? What the hell?!

"I want my meat back!!" she yelled at the woods, but to no avail. Dammit! Just when she was beginning to get used to them and enjoy their company, they up and leave! That so much... SO MUCH like a DOG!! AAAAGH!!

She got over her abandonment though by the time she found an even _bigger_ pine tree than the one before.

"Darn it," she muttered, peering in to see the jabby-sticks-of-doom being far too low for comfort. Either she spent twenty minutes snapping them off and risk an eye with how she tossed and turned at night, or kept on walking until she found another heavenly looking spot.

...

"I'm making quite the list," she told herself, steadily breaking both the bone-width branches and her patience. "I hate dogs. I hate the ground. I dislike wolves. Now, I hate sap."

Her whole body shook with the next branch snap, and she reached up to tuck her unruly hair back behind her ear. It followed her finger after she let go.

"I _definitely_ hate sap..."

Sap **loved **her though. She woke up to it clinging none-too-tenderly to her locks. She wasn't going to mess with it though. She didn't want to have a tender scalp on top of an empty stomach.

"Here, bunny, bunny, bunny," she called lazily ahead as it began to snow again. The calling had actually worked once, but that was because the rabbit was already dead; from disease if appearance was anything to go by. "Here, food..."

Her stomach was calling, too. But, she only had to wait another day. Yeah, just a day. She could handle it...

By the time she began singing again something ancient yet familiar stroked the pack of her conscience and trickled down her neck like ice water.

She stopped and smiled. It was a good feeling.

Appearing before her, the red clad teenager simply stared, and a small smirk of happiness and disbelief crossed his face.

"Hey," she greeted, probably possessing that same stupid expression.

"Hey," Inuyasha replied. He looked down, then at the sky as though swallowing an emotion like a duck did water. "You're late."

She couldn't help but to giggle, wiping unbidden tears from her eyes. "Why are we just standing here?"

She ran into her friend's arms, and hugged him tightly. He was the same. He hadn't aged at all. Maybe he'd grow bodily a few years by the time she died as an old, crotchety woman.

"What happened to your hair?"

... Oye. "It's called sap."

She felt him playing with the ends. "No, I mean it's longer."

"Oh!" she replied, letting go and pulling some over her shoulder. That's right, it use to be shorter... She hadn't noticed the change since she's been living with it. Now the dark ends curled in slightly where her ribs ended.

"It looks good," Inuyasha informed her. She was then reminded that his hands were still on her hips, and her breath hitched nervously. So many years ago, she'd have savored the now odd feeling. Of late, it's been another set of hands stroking her fantasies. Still, she was very inexperienced with men. She knew she loved Inuyasha, but since Sesshomaru's entrance into her life she had discovered a new emotion. So... What exactly did she feel for those two?

"Um, Inuyasha?" she asked, meeting his amber eyes a tad hesitantly. She was a little uncertain, and her heart raced so fast that she couldn't feel anything else.

"You're blushing," he stated, lifting his hands from her.

Oh, kami, now or never. She moved too quickly for either of them to think about it, and soon she felt his mouth against hers and her arms around his neck so he couldn't get away. He had embraced her again, most likely thinking her lunge was for another hug, but his mouth was stilled against her own. Apparently, he was shocked.

Good. Even after two seconds he didn't respond to her friendliness.

She grabbed the sides of his face and held him away from herself. She didn't want him to respond to her experiment. ... Haha... She didn't want him to! She didn't like him in a romantic fashion!

"Now you're smiling," he whispered, blinking. He wasn't phased at all by the kiss, nor into it. "I'm glad you're back, but that was a bit carried away."

She chuckled once under her breath, whispering back as though to not disturb the falling snow. "I'm sorry. I had to be sure of something."

They were silent for a second, wind parting their hair to the sides of their heads, and the sound of something dropping downwind had both looking to the side. They didn't see anything, until Kagome sensed another old and familiar feeling.

Averting her gaze slightly she saw the black sheath she had assumed in glancing to be a sapling, standing straight up in the snow, and in it was the Shikon no Tama.

Which meant that Sesshomaru had been there...

...

... ...

... Oh, no...

Before she could dread what the demon lord had just seen the sword came to life, like it had done so long ago to lead its owner back to the past.

She and Inuyasha stared as the blade bounced in midair like a balloon anchored to a happy child's wrist, unsheathed itself and went sailing straight into Kagome's chest.

...

Yep... It was there... Just, sticking out of her sternum...

...

... ...

"Kagome? You awake?"

She opened her eyes to see the canopy as a hand slapped her cheek repeatedly, and realized she had just passed out.

"WHA-?!" she cried, sitting up and grabbing her chest. There was no hole. She wasn't bleeding buckets. She was _sweating_ buckets, but not bleeding! Thank kami! ... Was it a dream? Oh, wait. No, it happened, her chest stung like something was bulging behind her sternum.

"What happened?" she asked, still shocked enough to pull off a toddler's expression as she groped herself in confusion. Still no hole.

"Well, Tenseiga said 'hello'," Inuyasha replied, the blade sheathed again and laying in the snow nearby. "I have no idea why, or why Sesshomaru left it behind. ... Heh! Just be glad it wasn't a transformed Tetsusaiga that missed you!"

That was a joke? She just got _stabbed_!! ... Well, technically, it was the thought that count... And her chest still hurt, but she knew why.

Tenseiga was plain old Tenseiga again as it lay dormant in the fine white powder of winter. In other words, the demon sword decided to hand over the Jewel it most likely felt tainted with.

That explained, however, only one of the pains in her chest. Despite how much she hated to admit it, the thought of Sesshomaru seeing her kiss Inuyasha was a pain she didn't want to bear, and it made her heart want to stop.

Damn dog...

* * *

**A/N:** ... I wasn't expecting this to be ten pages... Also, to put credit where credit is due, the song Kagome was singing lines from is I'm A Bitch by Meredith Brooks. It just randomly started on my song player and I thought it was rather perfect for these two...

Well, I hope everyone isn't confused beyond repair. :D If so, I answer questions if they're asked (unless they give away the plot... :x), so feel free to share any befuddlement.

I hope everyone enjoyed the second chapter! If things really haven't made sense in the last few chapters, then I'm sorry. My mind has been racing of late, and not with this story. I'll clear anything up in the update, sound good?

Anyway, review please! :D Thanks for reading!


	3. The Weight of Time

**A/N:** Alright, chapter three! ... Hehe, I love the sound of that. It's much better than twenty four. :D

**P.S.** If I had it my way (right now it's going the story's way, don't ask me how) Kagome and Sesshomaru would be together by now. But, there needs to be a little bit of background work beforehand, or else this story would simply fall apart. Again, don't ask me why, it just will. Trust me though, when they see one another again, this story is going to get goooooooooooooooood. :D And tasty, but I'll leave that judgment up to you. ;) And I am **not** telling people which chapter they're going to meet one another in, because to stop here and then skip ahead when it's uploaded would mean to throw the plot and understanding of the story into complete distraught. I know some people would do that too. Maybe not you, but some. So... There. :P

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The Weight of Time**

Kagome was glad to be off her feet, but to have her legs wrapped around Inuyasha's hips as he gave her a ride was different. And being different meant it was odd, so she found herself talking.

"Why didn't you sense Sesshomaru?"

"What?" he asked. He heard her, especially with those ears. "... He might have been cloaking himself. The wind wasn't in my favor either, but in his. I guess he came to see who the new miko was."

Kagome's grip tightened on Inuyasha's shoulders, but he didn't seem to notice. That stupid demon, and her stupid brain thinking of stupid things... Another way of putting that last sentence was 'he came looking for you'.

"Hey! ... You alright?" he asked when Kagome allowed herself to hit her forehead against the back of his impenetrable skull. It hurt her more than he even noticed it, though that didn't mean he wasn't offended.

"Just feeling stupid," she replied. His hair was soft and warm against her cold face, but a lot thicker than someone else's. She hit her head again to try and get the thought out.

"Hey! Stop that!" her ride yelled.

"I'll say the word," she warned. Gosh, after so long and she was already threatening 'sit's. It made her feel bad, but she could really vent on some undeserving soul about now over truly unimportant issues... Sesshomaru seeing them wasn't the end of the world after all, so she really shouldn't be so hyped up over it.

Kagome didn't know it was possible to trip in midair... When Inuyasah caught himself after her threat and she registered that they weren't falling she began laughing at him. "I SHOULD say it!! It's been years!!"

"Don't."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine," she scoffed. "I'll just wait until we get there. Then I won't be sat too."

He laughed, and they had a few minutes of decent conversation while she hid her face from the snow in his hair. Not only could he still hear her, but it kept her nose from falling off. Being on his back was like driving through a blizzard with your head out the window.

A hundred feet from the village, Inuyasha stopped leaping and just walked.

"... You can let me down."

"I know."

She lifted her face up. "... This is for the threat, isn't it?"

"Yep."

She smiled. "Okay, I won't say it if you let me down."

"Keh!" he scoffed, which brought back so many memories; good and bad. "Like I'd trust you! You may have aged a whole lot, but you're still-"

"**SIT** BOY!!"

After a 'manly' cry, Kagome caught herself and now stood over his fallen form. Despite her previous position, she did _not_ have broken bones from sitting him like that and marched onward. Aged a whole lot, eh?? Jerk. Dumb dogs...

"Immature," Inuyasha finished, most likely contemplating the snow that was just turned to ice against his front from the pressure of the command. Kagome assumed he lifted his head, because his voice was louder. "Hey! Get back here!"

"I'll say it again!" she threatened. _Who's_ immature? Not her. ... Okay, maybe a little. Oye. She should get a collar for someone else she knew...

"Kagome-chan!!"

Kagome's head shot up in shock, remembering she was indeed walking in the direction of long-missed friends.

"EEEE!!" Kagome squealed, booking it through the snow to Sango as they ran for one another. They collided, in a good 'I've missed you **so **much!' way, then ended the embrace so they could both begin talking eagerly at the same time.

They ended up laughing. "It's been **years**!!"

"That it has!" Sango agreed. Amazingly, she didn't look too different. Probably because she had gone through most of her puberty while fighting Naraku. Now her curves were just bigger. Slightly, but they were. It defined her figure and her fertility, which was an odd thing to notice but oh well!

"Wow, we have _so_ much catching up to do!" Kagome stated. She saw two little girls running for them, and they looked too much like their parents to mistake their relationship. "Starting with them!"

Sango looked. "Oh! Ki, Sada! Remember the miko in daddy's stories?"

Kagome was simply blown away. They told stories about her? ... The good ones? Whatever, they were so freakin cute! They had their mother's face, and Miroku's deep blue eyes.

"Kagome," Sango continued, "this is Kiyoshi, and Sada."

"Kagome-sama!" the girls giggled. They weren't shy at all, and the one in the dark red winter kimono with yellow fans, Ki, reached up to her to be held.

Sada, wearing the same outfit with flipped colors, stayed by her mom though. "Mommy, when's daddy coming home?"

Oh, cute... Mommy? Daddy? Which word did they learn first?? Kagome smiled at the sight, despite how Ki was yanking at some sap.

"By evening," Sango informed. "Ki, don't hurt Kagome."

"You have blue eyes!" Ki announced, looking at Kagome.

"You do too!" she found herself replying. Hers must have been the only set outside of the twin's family to be seen. Oh, for children, these two were sweethearts!!

"Girls, is Hiroko okay?"

"Oopsie!" Ki exclaimed innocently enough, covering her mouth with tiny fingers.

"Uncle Kohaku's with him, mommy!" Sada covered. "He's not alone!"

"That's good," Sango replied, smirking. She looked past Kagome then, and watched as Inuyasha continued to pry ice chips off. She probably hadn't seen him before with him laying flat in the snow. "Oh, so _that's_ what the boom was. I thought we were under attack again."

"_Someone_ was attacked," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Again?" Kagome asked. Who would attack a place with such cute children in it?

Sango decided to share the finer points of that over herbal tea, Hiroko bouncing on her knee while the twins played with Rin and Kohaku outside in the fluffy snow. Kagome was surprised that Rin had moved to the village. Did Sesshomaru visit often? Was that why Inuyasha didn't chase after him earlier? ... Oddly enough, it sounded about right.

"Wolves have been trying to get into the village for food," Sango explained. "And not just the animals, but demons too."

"Why can't they just hunt?" Kagome asked, a tad humored by the thought of Ginta and Hakkaku trying to scale that spike-timber wall of the village. Those two were so sweet, they didn't deserve their clumsiness.

Sango and Inuyasha were silent, eyes revealing their weighing of time.

"There was an invasion here," Inuyasha explained, his tone not hiding how old this story was. "And I don't just mean this area. I don't know what happened, but Sesshomaru disappeared during that battle over four years ago; when you vanished into your time, or so we had hoped for you. The well was knocked over by that dragon's foot and broken, and later he took it into the East."

"The dragon was named Bashamon," Sango supplied.

"That one," Inuyasha confirmed, pointing a finger at her in reference.

"Bashamon?" Kagome asked. She remembered a dragon, but it had remained nameless. "Who's he? Is he important?"

They shared that look again. Kagome got a feeling that she and Sesshomaru didn't talk too much about this...

"Bashamon was the Lord of the East," Inuyasha explained. "When Sesshomaru disappeared, his lands were up for the taking, so to speak. I know there are soldiers still hidden in places, but they don't really mobilize without a plan of action or direction. They're trained like the dogs they are."

Funny. Their leader needed the training. If she didn't die the first day, Kagome may be able to have fun at attempting that.

"Anyway, to sum it up, a bunch of scaly demons came in and began to eat any meat here they could find. It was late summer by then, so they got a lot of the new generation while they were young. Basically, they left our food supplies low, which meant the wolf tribes had barely any prey in their territories by the time more came from the north. The annoying thing is we _still_ have lizards running around these parts, but every winter their numbers go down."

"... So, why are the wolves attacking here?" Kagome asked, a little confused. "And how could the invasion devastate food sources so quickly? Sesshomaru was only gone a month, didn't he reclaim his lands immediately?"

Inuyasha gave her a certain look, which blatantly asked 'how did you know that?'

"Kagome," Sango began, "the thing with reptiles is that they're dumb. The more they eat immediately, the less they have to worry about food in the future. It's that simple. One soldier could probably consume five fully grown boars in a day, do that for a week, then not have to eat again for six years."

... Wow... "So, it was first come, first serve?"

Sango nodded. "Basically. The sad thing is that they came by the thousands."

Oh... Well, that explained it. The image of six wolves chasing a single rabbit made more sense now... the poor things. "Why are they attacking the village then?"

"Because of the demons we slay," Sango replied. Inuyasha laid back and relaxed to let her have the stage. "In the winter, we have a greater tendency to bring a wagon with us on a mission. Usually, it's to bring back bones, shells, furs, tusks, anything that can be turned into a weapon, armor, or that can be useful, but we've been brining meat and fat home too because of the shortage."

... That's right, people needed animal fat in the past to condition clothing and make candles and such. Oh, the luxuries of the future... ... Centipede jerky... Sounded worse than asparagus.

"The wolves can smell the meat and the cooking of parts as they're refined daily, so they know there's meat here. They have nothing to give to us in trade though, so we've been taking only one wagon for our village and leaving the rest of the carcass to them. That's, however, not enough for how many they have to feed."

"Why don't they just go home then?" Kagome asked. "You know, to the north."

"Keh!" Inuyasha pipped up. "Like they'd do that. They won rights to be here, they're not going to let a little lack of meat stop them from taking what they deserve."

Kagome gave Sango a questioning look.

"They helped in the war," Sango explained.

Hiroko let out a gurgling wail then, and Inuyasha got up and left right on queue.

"Besides, they're not welcome back," the hanyou stated before leaving.

The door slid shut, and Kagome could only give Sango a hopelessly confused look, baby screams reverberating off the walls as Sango tried to calm him.

She smiled patiently. "In order to switch packs, territories and pack associations are broken," she explained, "meaning that they have nowhere to call home once they move. It's a way to keep them in the colonization packs."

"Oh," Kagome toned. She looked away when Sango pulled her kimono back to let Hiroko nurse. "Um, how old are your kids?"

"Hm..." Sango hummed fondly, not noticing how awkward Kagome felt all of a sudden. Being discreet was another thing about the future... "Hiroko here isn't a year yet, a few months shy. Ki and Sada are two and a half."

"When will they begin training?" Kagome asked then, glancing up when Sango lifted a blanked over Hiroko to keep him warmer. For some reason, Kagome felt she wouldn't have minded seeing that mother and son connection four years ago.

"When they are five," Sango replied. The thought of little children warriors was upgraded slightly in Kagome's mind. In her opinion, five was a good age, if it was wooden weapons. Probably the village custom.

"Do you and Miroku slay demons still?"

Sango smiled. "It's so hard to believe you've been gone for so long..."

Oh, she knew that. Everything was different, and Kagome felt that no matter how much catching up they did the gap of time was too great to make a full recovery straight away. That was okay though, she could wait.

"I can't leave here while pregnant or nursing," Sango explained. "It's too much of a risk. I was able to though for a year and leave the girls with some close friends, but that didn't last long..."

No, she supposed it didn't with Miroku as a husband... She was humored by the memory of his first time proposing to Sango, which was immediately followed by inquiry of how many children she'd bear him. Did she remember correctly that he asked if she'd have twenty? Hopefully, it was smaller now, or else they'd be having one of the largest families in Japan for how young they still were.

Kagome giggled. It was hard getting used to the thought of them as a couple, no matter how much she had thought about and prayed for it in the past. She actually felt excluded from their lives, which was dead accurate. She was so ignorant of everyone, and had only known them for the warmer part of a year before leaving so suddenly. It was like seeing your best friend from middle school whom you've fallen out of contact with in your senior year...

Kagome swallowed. She wasn't going to think like that. This was a happy time.

The evening was very gradual in its coming, and by the time it did a certain monk discovered Kagome telling his girls, brother-in-law, and Rin the story of Little Red Riding hood. The real version. The twins screamed when their daddy came hulking in from a long day right as Kagome began explaining how the ax man made his entrance.

Kagome smiled at Miroku, who just stood there and blinked at her a few times.

"... Kagome?"

"Oh good! You remembered!" Kagome giggled, standing and giving him a quick bear hug.

"My, you've grown!" Miroku stated, putting his hand on the top of her head. "How many inches?"

"Three," Kagome stated. It was a guess, but considering the angle she looked up at him it sounded right. It was funny how everyone knew things such as measurements and weights, though in different increments than she was used to, but start talking about schools and they'll look at you wondering what herbs your village elder has you on. "... You haven't changed too much."

He laughed. "Raising kids, I'm surprised I don't have wrinkles!"

"Oh, you love it," Sango stated, coming back from the village blacksmith with Hiroko strapped to her chest.

"Hello, my beautiful wife!" Miroku greeted her, suddenly all sunlight and daisies again. Kagome went wide-eyed at the intimate kiss he easily coaxed his wife into.

"Eeeeww..." Ki and Sada said at the same time, which made a few people laugh. Even Inuyasha found it funny.

Then Kagome heard a noise that made her spirits soar.

"Meeew!"

"Kirara!" she cried, hurrying over and scooping up the kitten demon. The cat's eyes went wider than normal, if that was fathomable, and she sniffed Kagome curiously. "... Oh, don't pretend you don't remember me."

Kirara began to purr then, and mewled in response.

"I'm glad you're back, Kirara!" Sango stated as Miroku helped with unwrapping a once sleeping Hiroko. "Would you mind taking Kagome and I some place?"

The black stripped twin tails wagged in response.

"Where are we going?" Kagome found herself asking, seeing Miroku wave goodbye with his son on his side and the girls holding his priest garb. It was really strange that everyone still wore the same clothes...

"You'll see!" Sango replied, sounding quite happy. "It's actually a surprise. I think you'll like it! We can't be gone too long though, Hiroko loves to eat and Inuyasha can't stand his crying."

"Sounds about right," Kagome replied, mounting Kirara behind Sango and hugging the older woman's waist securely.

They arrived at a hut placed over a stream. But it wasn't just any stream.

"Oh!!" Kagome exclaimed upon seeing it. "Oh! OH OH OH!!"

Sango laughed. "Go ahead and check it out! I just have to make a place for Kirara."

Said 'hut' was bigger than it looked, and it was placed over a hot spring pool. Fantastic!!

"Why is Kirara outside?" Kagome asked as Sango got in slowly, the misty vapor ceasing its swirling from when the door was opened again. Kagome noted that her friend still had the scar that marked her near-death experience oh so long ago.

"Her fur can't stay dry in here," Sango answered, sighing as she sank onto an underwater rock ledge ever so slowly. "She'd get sick if she flew with damp fur. She's in a little shelter taking a nap though, she enjoys it. She also keeps peepers away."

Kagome giggled. "He still hasn't changed?"

"It's like his favorite game," Sango replied, knowing Kagome was making reference to Miroku. "Ironically though, he was the one to have this place built. It helped to have a roof overhead while I visited here. Having twins in your first pregnancy in the winter is a tad rough."

"I can only imagine," Kagome replied.

"Hm. ... Have you found someone yet?"

"What?" she asked, pausing in rubbing the soothingly sulfuric water over her arm. "No. Why?"

"You're not still pent up over Inuyasha, are you?" Sango asked. Gee, this used to be a touchy subject...

"No," Kagome supplied, dunking her head momentarily. She knew that, in the long run, that was a dumb move, but she just wanted that sap to come OUT! Besides, being under water gave her time to think... She wasn't in love with anyone. She didn't want to be, so therefor she wasn't. She was certainly irked by Sesshomaru though, and she was going to straighten him out one way or another.

She surfaced with a smile. "I'm not ready to have a boyfriend yet. That's all."

Sango seemed intrigued. "Do women in your time start late?"

... Start late... Kagome was, gently put, getting older. Oye... If only she could freeze time, then she'd actually have a minute to think. Then again, thinking took time, so that was the crux of her problem.

"It's not that," she replied. "I just can't find the right guy."

Sango nodded, rubbing gathered dirt and sweat from her body in a massage-like motion. The spring really was quite lovely.

"How did you know about Sesshomaru's month long disappearance?" Sango then inquired nonchalantly.

Kagome about slipped off her ledge, and while she struggled for a fib Sango struck the truth.

"He went to the future, didn't he?"

Kagome sighed, and felt embarrassed. This was Sango, she didn't need to hide anything, least of all lie. And so it was Kagome's turn to tell of what had happened in the last four years.

"He smiled??" Sango asked.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" Kagome yelled, really into the conversation now that they were over ten minutes into it. "Oh my gosh, you should have seen it, it's the most scary and mesmerizing expression _ever_!"

Sango was smirking, but despite that Kagome continued. She didn't run out of topics or memories, and every one of them struck a strong emotion in her. Half an hour later, she realized what she had been doing for nearly an hour, and felt bad that Kirara was stuck outside the whole time.

"It sounds like the two of you had fun," Sango commented.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he's such a pain. You know how that can be."

"I do," Sango agreed, now trying to bury her smile. "And I married him."

...

...

There was nothing to say to that, except for the lamest comment of the century.

"It's not like I like him or anything."

Sango laughed at her, but in a kind and understanding manner. "So, you hate him, but talk about him for an hour and act like your cheery old self when you do so."

...

"It really is good to see a real smile on your face again," Sango followed up. "And no need to blush around me."

"I'm not blushing," Kagome lied. "I'm just hot. That's all."

Sango was, least be said, humored by this. "You know," she sighed, leaning back against the rocks, "despite his cold exterior, he's a pretty nice guy." When Kagome failed to come up with a retort the slayer continued. "Rin is like a daughter to him. In the four years she's been with us he has only missed his monthly visit once."

"Really?" Kagome asked. Her voice was a tad monotoned because of the thoughts racing through it, but she still felt warmed by the fact that he came to saw Rin, even after four years. "When was that?"

"Yesterday," Sango informed.

Something flashed to ice in Kagome, and it made her shoulder blades tighten to the point of shivering. Was it because of... that?

"Are you alright?" Sango inquired.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

Kagome looked at her.

"We haven't been separated so long that you need to keep secrets from me, Kagome-chan."

And thusly, the verbal dam was broken. Kagome told Sango everything she hadn't before. Every single little detail she could remember, every emotion associated with it, every thought to cross her mind, and for some reason it made Kagome wipe tears from her immensely watery eyes. Why?? She had never cried over this, because really it wasn't sad. If anything, her anger with Sesshomaru should have been rejuvenated. But, this week had been rather overwhelming already, so Kagome blamed her lack of control over that as Sango made soothing noises and prompted her to continue.

"You believe he saw you two?" Sango asked when Kagome neared the end of her tale.

"Yeah," she replied, giving a small hiccup and cursing herself. She felt so weak, so much like she had so long ago. She wanted to be stronger than this. She _was_ stronger than this. "I'm sorry, Sango. I'm not meaning t-to cry."

Sango smiled. "I was expecting nothing else."

Kagome turned her most likely red eyes at her again, trying to sniffle but finding her nose rather clogged. Great... She hated crying. "Hah! You know, I've never sobbed like this over him..."

"Really?" Sango encouraged.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, feeling like she should explain. So she did, and it was the first time their conversation strayed to Kagome's time alone in the future. "I've spent so many years training myself. You know, I'm now considered a master of the bow in my time, and I've been training with a sword... I've been honing my body and my mind for so long, and as a result I'm really healthy and prepared for anything any demon can throw at me, but..."

She fell silent. She didn't know where to go from there.

Sango breathed out, carrying a great weight with that breath. "Kagome. I hope you understand that no one can train their heart."

... The water looked ready to receive Kagome if she chose to submerge her head and try to become a fish. Oh, kami, how did they start talking about this?? It was so mortifying, and her eyes were already drowning because of it!

Kagome watched as a pair of hands reached out under the rippling surface to clasp her own, and she refused to meet Sango's eyes. Was she really so weak? After so long, and over such a short time period... One month did not have the leeway of four years. It just couldn't. It was just too unfair! What did she do to deserve this?

"Hm," Sango giggled once. "You know, if you can be brave enough to face any pain, no matter how scared you are of being hurt, then he won't hurt you."

"... What?" Kagome asked, exposing her tear-filled expression. Darn those tears... Why couldn't she just bottle it up again and go back to hating him?? It was so much easier that way! Why was she allowed to feel this way over someone she could never, ever, even possibly love? Or rather, someone who couldn't love her... Maybe her body, as she already experienced, but not her.

Sango offered her comfort, but Kagome knew that that was pretty much all she could give save for the best advice one could receive at that time.

"I think you need to go talk to him."

* * *

**A/N:** Honestly, I was NOT expecting to update so soon! X( It's a bad sign that someone has as much time as I do on their hands... LOL.

Anyway, sorry for any grammatical errors (I'm pretty good and making those without noticing). I hope everyone enjoyed this, and that it was the lift a few people needed. :D

As always, thanks for reading, and please review to help me make this story better!


	4. Wrong Canine

**A/N:** This is progressing rather quickly! Probably because there are no amusement parks, movies, or malls in the past... :D

Read, enjoy, review please!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Wrong Canine**

Kagome needed a lot of time to think, and she found it that night. Staring at the dark corner of the room she watched as the moon beam gradually crossed the wooden floor. She bundled herself into the blanket more securely and held back a resigned sigh. She was in a spare room of Sango's place, but despite it being in the opposite side of the house from Hiroko, Kagome still didn't sleep.

_I think you need to go talk to him..._

Kagome whimpered, feeling her nervous system go sufficiently haywire to churn her stomach and make her muscles shiver with dread, and she hid her head under the blanket.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha went crashing from his tree which Kagome had found easily enough with her senses sharpened. Four years ago, Inuyasha probably would have been able to sneak up behind her. Now, fat chance. It was a good thing the tree was in the woods, else she'd have to cross a four foot deep field to get to it.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded. Oh goodie, he had been asleep, which made sense since it was about two in the morning.

Kagome drew her sword. The real one. She was still getting the feel of it and its weight, but she failed to notice those inconveniences when she saw Inuyasha's astonishment.

"I need to vent," she explained, the humored part of her being small and locked away. "Draw, because I'm stabbing you in five seconds."

"... Kagome?" he asked.

"What?!" she demanded. Kami, she was ANGRY!! She was probably feeling something else, but just vented it as anger because it was easier, and Inuyasha could heal overnight...

"Is everything alright?"

'No, it damn well isn't!' she yelled inside her head, frowning at him. 'I'm hurt, and cold, and confused, and I feel all alone despite everyone being here, and now I'm being asked stupid questions! And what's worse is that I miss that damn consoling hug I got four years ago by the last person who would ever give one and need to kick something's ass to forget about it!'

"Just- Get up and fight me like a man!" she practically ordered, pretending Keiji was around. She missed pummeling him.

It felt good to spar, even though Inuyasha's form was sloppy and unpredictable. After a little while though he seemed to stop worrying about her and began to actually fight, which was great for both of them.

After a good hour Kagome was panting like a race horse, the familiar feeling of bruises swelling to life in various parts as the chilly air scraped down her throat. The poor guy didn't want to give the injuries to her, she sort of put him in the predicament to need to.

"Feeling better?" he asked, bearing that old 'smug and happy' smirk of his. He didn't even have a hair out of place, though Kagome had not left him unscathed. She could still see small nicks healing in his hands and across his cheek, scrapes like he ran through a pine tree.

"Yeah," she replied in a huff, lowering her sword. Oh, her arms hurt, but it was good. She sheathed her blade, which was still unnamed.

"So, what's eating you?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, but not everyone believes what they hear..." Kagome replied. "I just needed that, that's all."

"Right," was his response, his sword already in its scabbard. "You expect me to believe that you, little Ms. I Want To Go To Bed Because The Sun Has Set, come out here in the middle of the morning to have a sword fight because you just felt like it?"

"... You're not allowed to be perceptive."

"Keh!" he scoffed. "If you're allowed to know how to wield a sword, then I'm entitled to anything I want!"

She giggled. This was the Inuyasha she had missed. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Still got homework?"

"No... Thank kami, no. It's just something I have to solve and deal with on my own."

He nodded. She knew that last sentence would shut him up, because a guy can understand wanting to be alone to puzzle something out. Guys were independent with handling their emotions, and really hated being bugged and offered help.

"Want a lift back to Sango's?" he asked then, walking up and rubbing the sides of her arms to warm them. "You humans don't do too well in the cold, after all."

"Actually, can you do me a favor?"

A few minutes later, Inuyasha stopped in a small clearing with Kagome on his back, and in that clearing was a slab of a boulder with a rain-weathered surface and a bit of snow. Despite the snow coverage, you could still tell that it wasn't the smoothest rock in the world. It certainly had a big surface though, about four square feet.

"How's this?" he asked.

"Good," she replied. "A bit bumpy, but fine."

Inuyasha looked at her over his shoulder, drew Tetsusaiga, and effortlessly sliced the top of the boulder and kicked it off.

"How's this?" he asked again. The surface was astonishingly flat.

"It's perfect," she replied, still gawking. He had her sit on the stone before releasing her legs, and she folded them under herself. Sitting there was like taking up position on a never melting ice cube.

"You're sure you want me to go?" he asked when he turned back around.

"Please," she answered, putting her nameless blade behind herself and getting comfortable. "You said the village is five minutes that way?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Kay, I'll go, but I'm going to check up on you every now and then no matter what you say."

She sighed. "Alright. Thanks, Inuyasha."

Kagome had the rest of the night to meditate and concentrate her powers, but she didn't do any exercises with them. Instead, she felt warmed by the energy flowing centimeters from her skin, as though it was producing a barrier of heat for her. She was really quite comfortable by the time Inuyasha made his first visit an hour later. Not ever her butt was numb from the frozen rock she sat on. He was standing there for a while, watching her as she remained sitting upright with eyes closed, then left again. Her mind was in a blissful calm by the time he came back at sunrise, but she could tell he wasn't alone.

"You're certain you want me to handle this?" she heard Miroku ask.

"I wouldn't know how," Inuyasha replied. "Besides, she may want to vent again..."

Kagome smiled at that. She heard Miroku stepping closer, and opened her eyes to say 'hi'.

They weren't there. The footsteps were gone. That was weird, she could have sworn they were only six feet away and whispering.

After a half minute of second guessing herself Kagome acted on a whim. "Miroku?!" she called out to the woods.

There was a laugh. "How did you know I was coming?"

Kagome's heart nearly stopped. What was she suppose to say to that? 'Oh, nothing special, I just heard you'?

"Just a guess," she replied, thinking for a valid reasoning. She had sensed his energy though. "I suppose there isn't anyone else here with spiritual powers."

"Nope," he replied, finally coming into sight through the trees. He _had_ been walking all that time! What's it been, forty seconds?? ... Whoah... It wasn't until he stepped into the small clearing that she began to hear his footsteps again. That was odd. Maybe she was really asleep? Yes, she supposed it was humanly possible to fall asleep sitting upright on a perfectly comfortable stone slab... It was also practical that your senses sharpen when you sleep, right?

"Is Inuyasha with you?" she tested.

"He was, about a minute ago," Miroku replied. Oh, that confirmed it. She _did_ hear them. ... Right? Maybe it was one of those natural phenomenons kooky scientists loved? "He told me you were meditating. Mind if I join you?"

Kagome was immediately suspicious because of what she thought she heard earlier. "Sure thing." What needed handling? Did she even hear that??

He came up next to her on the stone, kicked snow off his shoes and tucking them under himself.

"I had no idea you picked up meditating," he commented once he assumed his long practiced position. "When did you learn?"

"Four years ago," Kagome replied, trying to calm back into a nearly mindless state. So far she was failing miserably. "I've gotten really good at controlling my powers, too."

Miroku chuckled, and when she asked why he explained. "Most priests and priestesses call it 'energy', not 'power'. That is all."

"Well, it **is** rather powerful," Kagome protested. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Because power is a force exerted onto someone," Miroku stated nonchalantly. "It takes discipline to keep energy from being mishandled."

"What's the point of having it then if you can't have fun with it?" she asked, recalling all her practices involving pretty much anything considered to be a noun.

He looked at her, giving up on the meditating. "Well, we are born with it. The training in honing your energy is for self enlightenment, self awareness, and self defense."

"I suppose entertainment isn't on the list because it doesn't sound good coming after 'self'?"

He smirked. "Perhaps. There are not many ways for one to derive entertainment from their energy though."

"Are you kidding?" Kagome asked. "Watch, I'll hit that tree with a snow ball and I won't even move from this spot."

He frowned, and so she concentrated on a selection of snow. It was different, somehow, but still like grabbing a pencil a few times for how she had to pack the snow into a ball. She was actually doing this out of her normal range of control, so lifting her hands she made gestures which helped concentrate her energy on what she was doing. Pretending her energy was an extended set of hands, she finally lifted the ball into the air and coiled her energy to let it launch at a tree.

Something happened though. She had too much energy, which was odd because she did this little exercise whenever moving something horizontally and should have a better handle on it. So, her snowball made a hole in the tree, but didn't go all the way through.

Miroku stared, and she sensed Inuyasha approach to the point that they were in his hearing range. Nosy bastard.

"Whoops," Kagome stated. "Good thing I didn't use it on you, right? That's actually never happened before. ... Well, it has, but that was years ago and mostly in a theater with popcorn..."

He fixated a rather firm look on her then, and she suddenly felt like she had done a 'no-no'.

"Who taught you that?" he asked, sounding almost threatening.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling her energy rile around herself protectively. What was going on? What was he all flustered over?

"Answer me," he ordered a tad less than strictly.

"A- demon?" she supplied. She didn't want to say who, especially since Inuyasha could most likely hear them.

She was shocked at how Miroku's expression darkened momentarily, then he seemed to remember himself and sighed patiently.

"Kagome-chan, you need to forget how to use your energy like that."

She was shocked. "Why?"

"Because it is not how it should be used," Miroku told her. "In fact, the manner in which you use your energy is almost a sin in some practices."

She didn't know why, but she was really hurt by those words. "I don't see why it should be. I mean, you do the same thing when you need to throw a sutra." Come on, how else does paper fly like a dart?

"When in dire need, yes," he replied. "Such a practice destroys energy, like a demon does, so I only use a minimal amount in that fashion."

"Demons don't destroy, they convert," Kagome stated before she could stop herself.

Miroku frowned.

"Well, why ELSE can they eat a holy spirit and get stronger rather than purified??" Kagome threw Sesshomaru's example at him.

"Why do you suppose they need so many to get a tad more powerful?" Miroku asked in turn.

Kagome was stumped. "What do you mean?"

"Demons break down a spirit and take from it what they need," Miroku informed. "The soul dies."

"Oh..." ... Um, well... "But I gather energy to myself the same way you do. I mean, spiritual and demon powers are the same, just used differently."

... Kagome felt like she just spat in his religion's face, and by his expression that sounded about right.

Inuyasha decided to make himself known by walking in then, and he and Kagome soon left.

"What was that about?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Just something stupid," Kagome supplied. "Can you do me another big favor?"

"You're leaving?" Sango asked when Kagome gave her a hug. "Why so soon?"

Kagome offered a weak smile. "I'll be back. It may be a while, but I'll try to be back."

"Are you going to go talk to someone?" Sango asked, a hint of expectation in her tone.

"Yeah... I need some time to talk to myself first though."

Sango smiled. "Well, the twin's celebrate their third year in six months. They would love to have the legendary miko Kagome with them then. Will you be back for that?"

Kagome smiled. Sango was always so understanding. She really was such a good friend, no matter how much had changed. "Yeah. I will be. Give my best wishes to everyone, alright?"

And so they were off, and Kagome didn't feel as sad as she thought she would.

"So, where's Shippo?" she asked, battling silver tresses as they tried to snap against her face.

Inuyasha glanced at her, then stared onwards again. "He's at that kitsune youjutsu place. He advanced as high as he can all by himself, so he pestered some parents to the point that they took him in as their own."

"So it works on demons, too?" Kagome asked, smiling. She'd have to visit him, if she could find the place again.

"Yeah," Inuyasha confirmed, landing and leaping onward again. "He was really heartbroken for a while when the well stopped working."

Oh, sad... She smacked his shoulder. "Don't tell me things like that, now I feel bad."

"It's a good thing though," Inuyasha replied. "It's not like he'd grow up right with a priestess as a mom and a dog demon, pervert, and slayer as guardians. That's just wrong in more ways than four."

That had Kagome laughing. So, it was like Rin being returned to a human environment. She could understand that, and encouraged as much so long as she got visiting rights.

"Besides," he continued, jumping from another treetop as they made their way to Kaede's, "now that he's with his own kind, he's growing again."

Kagome blinked. "Growing?"

"Yep," he confirmed. "He's advanced from ankle biter to knee puncher in a year."

What that apparently meant was he was a head taller, and his head was big compared to his body so that was really saying something.

"He wasn't going to change without being with his own kind?" she asked.

"Well, he would," Inuyasha explained, running a few dozen feet before leaping again. This was worse than riding a horse... "It would just be really slow. He could grow up gradually if he wanted, he's just hell-bent to be big enough to stand a chance against me."

Kagome giggled. "You two are still fighting?"

"Yep. Brat's getting better too."

"How so?"

"Had a bite mark in my arm for a week straight and my hand stuck to another blasted stone for a day."

Kagome laughed again as Inuyasha landed for the last time, and she slid off his back. It was actually rather difficult to do, because the sword wanted to tangle her ankles if not with Tetsusaiga and the bow tried to catch her right foot. Tenseiga was the only thing not inhibiting her, and it sat dormant at Inuyasha's right hip.

Kaede's spiritual energy was too faint for Kagome to sense, so it took a few minutes for Inuyasha to sniff her out. In the daylight, Kagome noticed something as they wandered.

"Are all of these buildings new?"

"Yeah. Don't you remember the battle with Bashamon?" Inuyasha asked. "Only Kaede's place was left unharmed. It was a lot of work to get this town repaired, then when we're done Sango has to go and get pregnant and drag me off to re-build the slayer's village too before winter."

"What did you do, cut timber?"

"_And_ dragged it," he added. "There was more than that to do, but the details are foggy. OYE!! Hey, grandma!!"

Well, there was another part of him that hadn't changed...

"Hello, Inuyasha," Kaede replied. Her eyes landed on Kagome. "Ah, back so soon?"

"Yeah," Kagome answered.

Kaede escorted them to her place, and Kagome rummaged through her bag for the first time in days.

"The first thing you do is brush your hair?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Oh, cram it," Kagome snipped, finally satisfied and putting the utensil away in a front pocket with the rest of her hygienic things. After finding the small water supply bucket and brushing her teeth, Kagome felt clean enough to get ready. "Inuyasha, I need to change, would you mind?"

"Do not plan on returning what I gave," Kaede began, her making of medicine requiring all of the attentions of her one eye.

Oh, Kagome was touched! "Kaede-baa-chan, I-"

"Your clothes from the future suck, Kagome."

Her head swung with wide, affronted eyes to look at Inuyasha with pursed lips.

"Am I wrong?" he asked. "I'll even bet the sleeves of whatever you brought don't cover your hands, do they?"

... No, they didn't...

"Hey, grandma, got any other clothes for Kagome? She's making a trip."

Now Kagome's eyes were just wide with surprise. She told him tha-? No she didn't! What the heck?

"What she has is sufficient, even if she wishes to travel the coastline," Kaede replied. "The only other thing to offer is food and medicine."

"She'll take those then," Inuyasha replied.

Kagome opened her mouth.

"Sit me, and I'm not taking you halfway there."

Kagome shut her mouth with a click of teeth. ... Was it even possible he knew which direction she wanted to go in? That would be really helpful, since she didn't. Her thinking ended when he took her bag, grabbed the bottom, and let it tip upside down to spill _everything_.

"Hey!" Kagome yelled.

Inuyasha ignored her and offered the huge bag to Kaede to fill it with food.

"I cannot spare that much, Inuyasha," Kaede explained with a somewhat bored expression, Kagome grabbing the bag back and re-stuffing it. She only packed her haori for clothing though. It would be good to shred into bandages or to wrap around herself on a really cold night when her sleeping bag simply wouldn't suffice. They were both right, you couldn't beat hand-made winter-ready clothing from the era that actually needed it when the competition was machine-made fashion statements...

Kagome was very grateful to her mother for having packed raisins and other dried fruits, because apparently all these people ate in the winter while traveling was meat and whatever seasonings they decided to put on it before drying. Yes, her mother was an absolute **angel** to giving her daughter a horse dosage of hard-to-come-by sugary food.

Kaede insisted on some stew and that Kagome spend the night there to get another early start. Kagome was surprised to see noodles in the pot, which was rare and she could definitely use the starch. It was accompanied by onions and some vegetables which she never wished to be identified because of how repulsive they looked in this meal. The top two ingredients though were water and meat, the latter being a whole lot better stewed than dried...

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked from her bed. She knew he was sitting in that dark room, even though her back was to him.

"Yeah?"

A part of her didn't want to ask, but the larger part took control of her mouth and did it anyway. "Where... do you think I'm going tomorrow?"

He was silent for a moment, and in that silence Kagome thought her heart would explode from nervousness. She didn't want to be an obvious person after all, because then the only one she could fool would be herself...

"Just go to sleep," he finally said. "You've been up for two days straight, remember?"

Her mind slowly registered those words, and when it finally did her body felt like it had added on a few years in seconds.

"Okay," she replied with a huff, huddling in her sleeping bag and yawning hard enough to summon tears. Yes. Sleep was good. It helped one think and provided provocative dreams which did the complete opposite for one's brain functions... It had been a really good dream though, involving a lot of blue moon colored silk strands which were suppose to be hair, and it ended when the sun greeted Kagome square in the eye. She was suspecting to be awoken far earlier than that, especially since she rolled over to see Inuyasha sitting in the same spot.

"About time."

Kagome learned then that her right to sleeping until she woke up by herself was earned by staying up all night... They left as soon as she rolled up her sleeping bag.

"What the hell does this damn thing want?!" Inuyasha yelled when he finally stopped sometime around noon. Kagome's leg was going numb against Tenseiga's quivering, and she was absolutely petrified that it would jump out and stab her again; just for kicks, of course.

"No wonder he dropped it," Inuyasha commented, drawing the whole thing from its place at his side and looking it over. It was in pristine condition, but it was shaking uncontrollably.

"Here," Kagome offered, stretching her hand out. "I'll take care of it, just keep going." Yes. Keep moving. His bounding across the land had actually allowed her to get some shuteye once she grew accustomed to the jostling.

"Keh!" he scoffed, offering the butt end of the scabbard. "Like you could do anything about i-"

Tenseiga stilled immediately when Kagome's hands clasped around the lacquered wood, and they both looked at it then at one another.

"You were saying?" she prompted curiously. She giggled when he made no reply to that, and tucked the sword away at her own side.

After a good twenty minutes of conversation Inuyasha stopped mid-sentence and in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked when he let her down. Oye, she couldn't believe how long he carried her when she had both those swords and the Big-Back-Breaker on. The bow and arrows were lighter though, so she didn't include them.

"Nothing," he replied. About two seconds after he said that there was a whirlwind, and Kagome was surprised to see Inuyasha actually sock the wolf square in the face before being trampled for the ump'teenth time in his life.

"What kind of a 'hello' is that, mutt face?!" Koga demanded, holding his cheek.

"One you deserved, you stinkin wolf!" Inuyasha growled back.

Kagome was ready to give her own, nicer hello, but decided to let this scene play out for a little while.

"So when are you going to rein your pack in?" Inuyasha demanded. "They're messing up the whole countryside and attacking villages for meat scraps."

"That's rather obvious without your pointing out, thank you," Koga replied. "Hey Kagome! Good to see you!"

Kagome smiled, and Inuyasha stepped in the middle of their eye contact.

"Listen wolf," he continued. "I know things are hard, but you have to be a leader before Sesshomaru's men come down and kick you out."

Sesshomaru's men? He had armed forces? ... Hm...

Koga sighed. "I know _that_ **too**, you stinkin dog."

After four years, you'd think the two would be more creative with their name calling. Kagome kept quiet though in hopes of more information of the demon lord leaking out.

"Ayame and I are working on it, but the pack is so large of late that it's becoming unruly."

"Are the two of you mated?" Kagome asked eagerly, disrupting the manly conversation atmosphere.

"Yep!" Koga replied, his tail actually wagging. "We've had two pups already!"

"Oh, how adorable!" she giggled. "What are their names??"

"Kagome..." Inuyasha growled.

"Sit."

That had him quiet for a short while. She and a hesitant hanyou were invited to the den for a visit, and Kagome was absolutely shocked when she got there.

"Um, Koga...?" she began.

"Yeah?"

"How do you manage this?" She watched as five scrappy boys went running between the three of them, and the rest of the den was full of wolves. You couldn't walk seven feet without running into a small group of friends, and most of the adults lifted their heads and regarded the newcomers immediately, making Kagome feel a little odd being a miko and all...

"Oh, that's simple," he replied with a smirk. "I let Ayame do it."

"Really...?" Kagome asked, somehow not too shocked yet a tad disappointed in him. "She's that good?"

A white blur dashed past them.

"You'd be surprised," Koga replied, all three of them watching as she caught up with the five boys and literally beat them into submission. Wolf discipline was rough, which was probably why they didn't like using weapons as much as fists.

When the boys were on hands and knees, or just knocked out, she grabbed one by the scruff of his neck and lifted him off his feet.

"Hey Koga," she greeted merrily, nodding her head to an astonished miko and hanyou as she walked by with the child kicking and screaming in her grip. Kagome didn't learn the whole story about that, but apparently there was theft involved on the children's behalf.

"You must have the most well behaved pups here," Kagome commented in reference to Ayame's handiwork.

"Actually, that was our son," Koga replied with a smirk. "Our daughter's pretty good though. Aren't you, sweetie?"

Kagome blinked when one of the 'boys' lifted herself off the ground and rubbed her head. The girl's hair was so short she fit right in.

"Geez dad, you didn't even _try_ to stop her!"

Koga laughed. "I know better than to get involved with mother-daughter bonding."

"'Bonding' my ass," the child scoffed, sticking her tongue out and running off. The three other boys soon followed her.

"Cute, no?" Koga asked.

"You have no idea..." Kagome replied. "She has quite the vocabulary for her age."

Koga smirked over that. "Yep. Daddy's little pup."

Kagome couldn't help but to giggle at that, whereas Inuyasha was less than amused. Gee, everyone was having kids now...

Koga's ears perked. "Hm, he's early."

"Who is?" Inuyasha asked.

"Come see for yourself. He hates the den."

They went up and through an opening in the top of the wolf cave, where Koga had first declared that Kagome was to be 'his woman', and soon a man landed not ten feet away from them.

"Yo," Koga greeted him.

Kagome blinked. Several times. That was a **really** old demon! Well, he was still very well built and had subtle wrinkles, but he was **so** old...

"Hey, Koga!" the man laughed, walking forward and quickly embracing the wolf. Kagome giggled when his tail actually fluffed out slightly from the bear-hug. "Ah! A miko and a hanyou! What's the occasion?"

"Just a random encounter," Koga informed. "Their names are Kagome and mutt-face."

"Hey!" Inuyasha barked.

"Nice to meet you!" the mystery demon said to Kagome, who blinked again. "And it's good to see you again, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha froze, looking rather ridiculous with a baffled expression and a threatening fist in the air. His memory was obviously failing him in regards to this demon.

"This is Sheng," Koga finished. "He's an official of the domain."

"You're an inugami?" Kagome asked, feeling like the dumbest person in the world since she still had her awed expression plastered to her face. All three of them stared at her. "W- Hey! I don't have a nose on my face to pick up scents, I'm going on a visual here!"

"And that was a pretty good guess!" Sheng announced. "Do you know much about my kind?"

"... Depends," Kagome replied. "So far, you're all pretty good at being pompous jerks."

Koga laughed his ass off at how forward she was with that statement, and Inuyasha just looked offended. Sheng was smiling at her though.

"Seems like you don't know too many of us," he commented.

"Well, I wouldn't," she continued. "Apparently you're all in China anyway."

"Really?" Koga asked, receiving that as news.

"Spot on!" Sheng laughed. "Who told you that one?"

... Like hell she was answering that... "Someone you probably don't know."

"And why wouldn't I know them?" Sheng asked. Dammit! Why wouldn't Inuyasha or Koga interrupt!?

"Because he's a regal ass who couldn't keep a friend if his life depended on it..."

Inuyasha snorted. She couldn't help but blush. That description being complimented with the person being an inu left few candidates.

Sheng just made a 'hm' noise though, and requested some time with Koga to discuss what he came there for. This left Inuyasha and Kagome to sit with their legs dangling over the cliff edge.

"So," he initiated after a subject splitting silence, "Sesshomaru got stuck with you in the future?"

Kagome about died from how violently she flinched. She neither fell nor had a heart attack though, which left her fully capable to answer the question. Damn...

... Wait a second...

"**Stuck**?!" she demanded. "If _either_ of us was stuck it was **me**!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Guess that answers that."

... The fall looked inviting.

"Don't be so embarrassed, I was guessing as much had happened for a while now."

She shared one of her finest glares with him. "Why didn't you say so in the first place then?"

He just smirked.

"I'll S-I-T you off this icy cliff."

"Oh would you?"

Her face brightened at his challenging her. "... Yes, I would. Sit."

Oh, well, that one looked like it hurt...

"Miko."

"It's KAGOME, you stupid-!"

Oh, it was Sheng, who blinked at her.

"My apologies, Kagome-sama," he stated smoothly, bowing his head. "I was simply wondering if you would entertain me conversationally for the evening over some sake."

She balked. "I-... If that's a fancy way of hitting on someone, then I'm going to say 'no'!"

He chuckled. He looked like the sort who found humor every day in things, especially in mikos. Damn dogs...

"Indeed not," he answered, lifting an eyebrow, "unless you plan on such, then by all means."

She stared at him. "... Well, aren't you an easy one..."

He smirked. "No. The reasoning is that it is simply not every day I encounter a demon-friendly miko of such potential."

Uuuugh! She hated dogs! They all used the same lines, it was confusing! And she was never powerful, she always just had 'potential'. That was _it_. No matter how much she trained, she just couldn't take that next step up!

"I **hate** sake," she attempted. For some reason that made him smile even more strongly. "What's so funny about that?"

"Simply that you are not the only one who does," he replied. "My apologies, but I must insist on a friendly, 'non-engaging' conversation with you. Your personality is simply too rare to pass up spending time with."

For some ridiculous reason, that had Kagome blushing furiously and she hoped it made her face look red with anger. "Quit talking so fancy, you're making my head spin, and that can be very unhealthy for you."

"A fiery one, isn't she?" Koga asked, catching up with the inu demon. He seemed quite happy to finally leave Kagome's dating life be, so that was a grand relief.

"Yes. It is quite refreshing!"

... She was surrounded by dumb, canine men, and the ultimate one was currently scaling his way back up the cliff. She reversed that process with a word though, and he went cursing for the bottom again.

"Fascinating trick," Sheng commented, glancing down the sheer drop. "Have you no care for his well being?"

"He can handle it," she replied. "And to be perfectly frank, I have absolutely no interest in spending time with you. I'm on my way to verbally abuse a set of pointy ears for their unwillingness to work a few days ago."

Sheng laughed really strongly then, which shocked her because it was _loud_!

"You are a beauty in more ways than one!" he laughed. He unceremoniously lifted her to her feet and over his shoulder, her backpack going on his opposite side as her weapons clattered wildly about herself. "Come! I must hear your life story and learn of how your personality became so priceless!"

"Hey!" she yelled, Koga waving good bye. "I'll purify you if you don't let me down!!"

Sheng only laughed, and putting a hand on his neck she- Did absolutely nothing. She couldn't sense her energy at all!

"Old demons know some useful tricks," he commented almost conversationally. He didn't... He sealed off her power?!

"INUYASHA!!" she shrieked, completely unable to grab her weapons in that position. She proceeded to kick, punch, pinch, grind, and bite this blasted and audacious demon, but that did her no good as he made reality spin with how fast he suddenly moved. In a couple of sickening seconds they stopped, and she was let down to do whatever she wished with the contents of her stomach.

"Oye! An! Be a good man and bring some sake to my lodging, would you?"

Kagome came to the decision to empty her stomach.

"And a spittoon," Sheng added. "Feel better?"

"Fuck off..." she growled at the ground. Oh, her head spun, and she felt like she was simply surrounded by demons of fairly high power.

Glancing up, she realized she _was_, and they were all in light armor with crescent moon engravings on them, and they were staring at her.

... ... ... Which divinity hated her? To make matters worse, they were all DOGS!!

"Where are we?" she asked.

"This is the humble southern regiment of the Central Domain, land of the great Lord Sesshomaru, little miko," Sheng informed her helpfully. She was suddenly hauled to her feet and steered onward. "Now, on with your life's story! Is someone getting that sake?!"

If she was a cat, her hair would be on end and her tail bushy as she was forcefully walked with stiff legs onward. Everyone there, EVERYONE, knew she was a miko, and they didn't really seem to like that at all despite her being completely powerless...

This SUCKED...

* * *

**A/N:** I hope everyone liked it! I was asked by two people whether Shippo would make an appearance in this chapter, and to both of them I said yes, but no matter how much I tried he just didn't fit... So, I started with the scene which would happen before that (her going to sleep) and it turned into what you just read, so sorry that Shippo didn't make an appearance yet! He will though, when the time is right!

Thanks for reading! Reviews please!


	5. The Drunken Conversationalist

**A/N: **This plot is moving rather quickly (chapter-wise) despite all the information and scenes I'm adding... Oh well! Believe me, I want those two to see one another again soon too!!

Read, enjoy, reviews please!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Drunken Conversationalist**

"Ah, do not mind them," Sheng offered when he caught Kagome looking again at the two frigged guards who were standing right behind her. "They are just stiffs. Come, have a drink!"

She glared at him. This certainly wasn't a regiment hide-out with tents and camp fires. It was a barrier-hidden o-shiro which was utilized to house **many** demons. Having many demons around, and her powers still sealed away, made for a very cranky and potentially spasmodic miko.

"I find it a tad to my disadvantage to accept an alcoholic drink from the demon suppressing my powers," she stated a bit bitterly. Her brain almost hurt from cranking that non-abbreviated sentence out.

"Mm, about that," he stated, taking the cup from his lips to talk. "I cannot have a miko going around hyped up on a certain Jewel with trained but no less greedy demons everywhere. It would be a tad unethical to allow you here completely unsuppressed, and a tad idiotic as well..."

Oh, right, the Jewel... Heh, she could see the blood baths now...

"So, at the sacrifice of your personal comfort," he continued, gesturing to the room, "you are out of the woods, offered great hospitality, and certainly in no danger."

Although those facts were undeniably clear and accurate, her skin tingled so much she half expected it to just crawl off and save itself... At least he allowed her to keep her weapons, but those wouldn't do her much good in this sort of situation now would they?

"So! Relax and enjoy yourself. And do not worry, your drink is not poisoned."

... She hadn't thought of that... Damn it! Even the most obvious and overused movie trick was escaping her list of things that could go wrong!

"So, where were you born, Kagome-sama?"

"In Tokyo," she replied honestly and harshly. Hate hate hate hate hate... She even glared at the servants who were lighting lanterns and rejuvenating brazers to keep the room warm for the night.

"... That is a Japanese village?" Sheng asked.

"A city, rather," she answered flatly, still consciously searching for her energy. It had simply vanished though, and she couldn't even utilize the Jewel of all things. Kami, she probably looked like a walking buffet of power just dying to be gobbled up. "Not that you're old enough to know of it..."

"My life goes back farther than recorded Japanese history, miss," he informed with a jolly smirk.

"Of that, I'm well aware," she retorted. She was, definitely, not pleased.

His face settled deeper into its familiar grin, eyes sparkling with thoughts. "Oye, guards, take the night off."

The men looked at him, faces completely blank.

"Do not _gawk, _that is an order. And relay that to every other guard within a fifty foot radius of this room."

"Confident?" Kagome asked.

"In what?" he inquired as the men retreated wordlessly to leave him alone with a 'hyped up miko'. She was silent. "Anyway, you've sparked my interest, Kagome-sama. Do you claim to come from the future?"

She gulped, then asked herself what she thought she was doing and decided to not worry about it. "That depends. How sober are you?"

"Completely," he answered, refilling his drink for the thirty second time. The dosage that had been brought to the room could probably fill up an airplane stewardess' wheeled beverage cart.

"Then yes, I do."

He chuckled. "You can't beat honesty. So, what city will Tokyo stem from?"

She blinked, only in part over his sudden slip into abbreviations. He wasn't going to second guess her? He _believed_ her??

"It's bad to know too much of the future," she told him.

"Ah," he began. "I suppose I'd have to be of higher rank, then?"

Her fingers clenched her hakkama under the table. Certainly, he didn't know that much... Certainly not. He should be too ignorant to be able to insinuate such a thing. "What rank are you?"

"A member of the Counsel," he informed, not minding the shift. "Used to be a general, got upgraded. Sure you don't want sake?"

"..."

"I'll presume you're thinking on it," he filled in. "So, how's Tenseiga been?"

Kagome could almost feel her soul begin to ascend she was so shocked. He knew the sword?? Oh, kami, then that meant he knew Sesshomaru, didn't it? ... Oye... Again, why did she care? All she had to do was get herself breathing again and all would be a field of daisies from there.

"You have quite the range of emotions," he commented with a brilliant and curious smile on his face. "Eat many of those tropical caffeine berry beans in the future?"

She shook her head to clear it. That, and she disliked coffee. "You know this sword?"

He chuckled. "Yep. Knew its first master too. I don't see how Sesshomaru could have lost it though, little miko."

"I didn't steal it," she quickly defended herself, feeling the shadow of a bomb grow over said daisies. It was really weird to know that this man knew Sesshomaru, and knew him better than she every would. "He dropped it."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"You **do **realize how absurd that sounds, correct?"

"Yes."

He smiled. "For a human, your honesty is astounding."

She frowned. "Alright, how can you tell if I'm telling the truth?"

He pointed at his nose. "As you've said, yours doesn't work too well."

Her mind went running giddily with that idea, and various memories of her being with Sesshomaru were suddenly turned into the shade with the thought of him sensing how she felt at every given second. That was almost as bad as someone opening your closet to find you making out with the skeleton hiding in it... "So, you believe that he dropped it?"

"Oh, no," he answered calmly, pouring himself another round. "You have yet to prove that."

She quickly came up with a witty little tune, which was playing repeatedly in her head in an oddly enthusiastic voice at a variety of octaves, and it's solitary line was 'I hate dogs'.

Then a loophole appeared. "Would you presume I beat him in battle and claimed it for myself, then?"

He pursed his lips in thought. "That would be quite the sight... But, he came back physically unscathed the day Tenseiga disappeared. He was rather boiled over though, and wouldn't answer questions in reference to the sword and Shikon no Tama."

"Oh, _he_ has **no** right to-!" She caught herself from spiraling into an emotional tangent in regards to someone she was somewhat feigning ignorance of; and doing as much was hard enough while carrying around the bastard's sword...

"Don't break your honesty streak now," he almost scolded. "It's obvious you know him. What were you going to say?"

Oh, sure, give her the green light.

"He has no right to be pissed off because of me kissing someone!"

Sheng, for the barest fraction of a second, lit up like a firework of hilarity.

... Oh, kami, being phrased like that sounded _**really**_ bad... It's not like the demon lord who loathed humans would ever be jealous over... Over anything, really...

"No, he doesn't," Sheng replied, refilling his cup again.

"... You're good at hiding your facial expressions, aren't you...?"

"Yes I am."

Kagome sighed. Great... Well, now that she was holding all the wrong cards she dropped the poker face and decided to give this guy the story of his life. Or, of hers, rather... She was going to be the first miko to ever bore a demon into unconsciousness.

...

... ...

"Aren't you bored yet?!" she demanded three hours later over a platter of excellent sushi. She had only gotten up to the fifth grade of school so far, and night was already fully settled in!

"Quite the opposite!" he informed merrily, not looking drunk at all yet. "Please continue."

Taking a sip of sake to quench her dry throat, Kagome winced at the foul taste and swore that the sun was up again and laughing at her by the time she got to Naraku's defeat. She absolutely **refused** to lose at this game though! So, she plowed right on. He wanted a story, and she wanted to be free and not stalked by a platoon of dog demons for not finishing it.

...

... ...

"And then what happened?" he asked delightedly.

Kagome snapped her head up, realizing she was nodding off and would have fallen into a bowl of soup. She wasn't sure if the sun was up, or down, or upside down anymore. All she knew was that her body ached from sitting in that position for so long, and that she was exhausted...

"Where were we?" she asked. Won't lose... Never...

"Explaining the wonders of a ferris wheel," Sheng informed.

"Oh, right..." Daaaaaaamn it... This was taking for ever!! But, time didn't matter, because Kagome had ample time, and this was a game, and she was going to win and walk straight into a tree for falling asleep while walking by the time she was done here.

...

... ...

"Don't nod off now!" Sheng encouraged with a smirk, verbally beating her awake again. "You were just getting to a very interesting part when the well opened again."

"... I was?" she asked. Why was she there? Why was she still talking about this? Oh, right, won't lose. Never. ... She had been having a splendid day-dream that she was only dreaming that she was there. Oh, why? WHY did it have to be DOGS?? Of all the insufferable animals in the world, too!

Sheng smiled. "Well, as soon as you finish, I'll let you sleep undisturbed for days on end if you so choose and until you decide to leave you may have meals and delicacies delivered to your room."

That woke her up **immediately**, though she still felt quite deranged from not sleeping. Oh, finally, a dog who decided to speak her language!! Maybe she should request a massage, too...?

By the end, which was about ten minutes of ranting later, Sheng was nodding his head and Kagome absolutely couldn't care what resulted of such a conversation because she planned on never seeing the general again after spending what felt like a full day talking about herself and her acquaintances.

"Thank you for your valuable time," he stated. As he escorted her personally to a room she noticed that the sun was setting, and she thought for a split second that it had only been forty minutes since she got there. But damn, she could talk...

"By the way, I'm expecting a favor for that," she informed him flatly, trailing behind. Did demons just feel unfathomably comfortable with armor on all the time?! The only reason she wondered was because it was currently reflecting the brilliance of the setting sun into her face.

"What to hear my life story in return?" he asked, turning to look at her.

... Oh, she thought her heart had stopped! He was laughing at her reaction though, and having seen it he turned back forward. ... So he did that intentionally!?

"You'd talk me into my grave, so I'll pass on that," she stated. "First, I want you to tell me truthfully whether or not you know Sesshomaru on a personal level and not just as a second in command."

"I do," he replied easily enough. "He hates sake too, by the way. Is there a second request?"

... This Sheng was an interesting fellow... She could laden him with _loads_ of requests if he only asked. "Second, I want you to tell me where he is in a week."

"Alright," he agreed. "Is there a third?"

"Yes!" she replied in a sarcastically happy tone. "During that week, I want to be guaranteed that I won't die, regardless if I chose to spar with random soldiers here."

She ran into his back when he stopped and staggered away, clutching her nose. Damn armor...

He looked at her, genuinely surprised. She kept her most likely dark circled eyes on him too.

He finally nodded. "Is there a forth?"

"... I'll get back to you on that in the morning..."

He nodded again. "So, in return for, so far, two extra favors, I expect that you not attack the residents of this regiment."

"Only if it's in self defense," she added. "And I won't kill them."

"Deal," he stated, holding out his callused hand. ... Well, so demons _could_ get calluses after a few millenniums... Her hand felt so small in his when she shook it, and she was shown her room.

"You're sure no one will rape me or kill me while I'm in a comma?" she asked upon seeing the beautiful bed that was definitely not touching the ground.

"On my life," he informed. "We have an agreement, after all."

"Good." She walked over, flopped onto her face into the feathery down mattress, and didn't remember much after that until she woke up wondering where she was and why her cheek had molded to the fabric so securely. Funny, she slept on a perfectly made bed, yet someone had put a blanket over her out of apparent pity. The second thing she noticed was that she could sense her energy again. The third thing she noticed was that she did, in fact, make an agreement in exchange for that. The forth item on her conscious' agenda was the steaming meal sitting ready for her on the Japanese-style table in her room.

Her stomach leaped at it before she did, which made for bad coordination. She nearly tripped over her weapons and backpack getting to it, and for some reason she was never so happy to see a strange array of edible delights in her life. ... Wait... Was that-? Oh, kami, there was **chocolate**!!

Sheng earned himself a friendship point.

"Did you get your fill?" aforementioned demon asked halfway through Kagome's inhalation. "Ah! A woman who actually knows how to eat!"

She flipped him off, and downed another cup of tea so she didn't choke on the rice. It was all so good, she couldn't believe how well demons ate! "I'm not fat!" she finally told him, continuing.

"Not what I meant," he assured her. "Most ladies of the court count bites simply because they are too 'feminine' to work off the food."

Kagome nearly snorted noodles up her nose. "Trust me, they'll start counting calories soon."

"What are those?" he inquired.

"The tiny pieces that make up food," Kagome replied. "It's like identifying the bones in our bodies. Calories are just one part."

"Good example."

"Why, thank you," she replied, surprised at how quickly the food disappeared. She absolutely refused to lick up the rice and sauces though, so she finally noticed the damp cloth that was to the side of the tray and cleaned up her face and hands. "So, General Sh-"

"Just Sheng."

"Got it. So, Sheng, care to have someone show me around?"

He, on account of there being nothing better to do, actually took it upon himself to show her around. And around. And inside and through and over and under and just about every place he could think of that was interesting. Kagome's favorite happened to be the relaxing garden scenery with the small koi-less pond in the corner. She wouldn't mind relaxing there sometime that week before she left. She still felt odd at inviting herself to stay there, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity of learning things about Sesshomaru and his forces right under his nose, nor the opportunity to see what fighting style he grew up with by testing said soldiers. She imagined that he would have spared with them quite a bit growing up, and she had to kick his ass somehow so she might as well start there.

"Here are the training grounds," Sheng informed, walking through the barrier ahead of her. She easily passed through, though it stung ever so slightly. Demon barriers were different than spiritual ones, but they didn't prove to be too much of a hassle for her.

Kagome stared. The terrain was rendered mostly to beaten down earth, despite it being the middle of winter, but the soldiers weren't training with weapons.

"Are they all meditating?" she asked, seeing around fifty men, young and old, just sitting with their eyes shut.

Sheng smirked. "Sort of. They're sharpening their senses." Kagome watched as her escort picked up a rock, scanned the heads, and threw it. Only the targeted man moved, and he caught it without looking and smiled. "Good job, everyone!" Sheng congratulated. Kagome stared, but followed when he walked away, and was surprised that none of those soldiers had glared at her for being there.

"They seemed really calm," she commented.

"One tends to be while training in that fashion," Sheng informed. "By the way, what religion to you serve?"

She was mentally floored. "What?"

Sheng glanced at her. "How do you claim being a miko?"

"By being one?"

He stopped walking, so she did too.

"What training did you receive, is what I am asking."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, feeling a tad foolish for not guessing that first. "Um... The minimal amount. I actually made my friend, a monk, angry recently. He said I should forget how to use my powers in the manner that I do."

Sheng looked curious. "Really?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. He insisted on seeing this, and Kagome's stomach was sent on another ride for a sizable second so when they stopped they were far enough to not send everyone into a panic with her demonstration.

"Show me how you made him mad," he requested, letting her go. She was very happy to keep her stomach under control this time.

"Um, well, it wasn't much," she replied, needing her hands again to practically sign language her energy into submission. She carved it into the snow and packed it a few times, lifted, and fired. This time it went completely through the tree, which highly embarrassed her. "I'm not trying to send it through the tree, FYI."

"FYI?"

"... For Your Information."

He nodded. "Actually, I'm really impressed that you can."

Her hands fell to her sides. "Are you kidding? I should have more control over it."

He waved a hand in the air as though the statement were an easily discouraged fly. "Control comes with discipline and is easy to come by. Power, however, comes with time."

"Actually, I blame the Jewel," she told him.

He laughed openly then. "Why? You didn't use it."

"... I didn't?" she asked. She didn't? She could have sworn she did, she was way more powerful than she was used to.

He shook his head, topknot bobbing side to side. "If you had, you would have regretted it. If anything, it merely allowed you to concentrate."

"... Why would I have regretted it?" she asked.

He sighed, obviously not wanting to answer.

"... _Please_ tell me why?" she tried again.

"Kagome-sa-"

"Just Kagome."

He smirked. "Kagome, have you seen what happens to someone when they actually tap into the full power of the Jewel?"

A vicious image of spikes sprouting from Naraku's body as the darkened energy of the Jewel overcame him came to mind, yes. "You're suggesting it works on humans in the same way?"

"No, I'm stating fact," he replied.

"Ah," Kagome replied. "So, so long as I don't go growing thorns like a mutated rose I should be good?"

"Basically," he confirmed with a smirk. "You understand what I mean though, correct?"

She nodded. Use the Jewel equaled bad plastic surgery which also equaled avoidance. Eh... She lived with it in her body for most of her life, which was the only reason she was even fine with it being lodged so comfortably in her chest...

"Now," he continued, "about the way in which you use your power, it's..."

"Recklessly?" she asked, which had been commonly used in regards to her manner of manipulating spiritual energy.

He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Not right?" she asked. "How about 'immature'?"

Both lifted at her.

"... Unthinkingly... No? Too quickly? Hazardously. Sinfully. Too eagerly."

Apparently, he wished to see how long the list could get.

"Desperately, carelessly, badly, bad-_natured-_ly, indiscriminately, openly, freely, willingly, jokingly, happily, evilly, scarily, god-will-smite-ye-ly..." she needed to breathe. "Ah... Did I say recklessly?"

Sheng blinked.

"..." She lifted her hand. "How about experimentally?"

He blinked again, and then let out a roar of laughter. Despite herself, she joined in on the fun. Okay, this guy wasn't so bad...

"Have those all been used against you?" he asked, still shaking from the giggle he couldn't rid himself of.

"Most of the beginning ones," she admitted. "And some of the latter."

He chuckled. "Well, those weren't exactly the words I was looking for," he admitted. "I was going to say 'suppressed'."

Kagome was so shocked that her knees went numb and she fell onto her ass, but she was still staring up at him as though he just sprouted a second nose and third eye..

"_**SUPPRESSED?!**_" she couldn't help but to scream. "Are you _insane_?!"

He controlled himself to smiles now. "Some would say as much."

"Hah," she breathed forcefully, making her shoulders and chest bounce with the noise. "Suppressed... Really...?"

"Certainly," Sheng replied. "And truly, it's an easy thing to fix."

"How's that?" she asked.

Eight minutes later, she was holding her sword out in front of herself, and staring at ten young demons who were armed with a variety of different weapons.

"How's that?" she asked again, panicking a little. Why soldiers? Why dogs?? Why _ten??_

"You'll see," Sheng informed. "So long as you don't kill them."

"I promised not to..." she replied, her energy swelling around herself protectively and making not a single demon shift.

"Good," Sheng replied, standing behind the men to watch her reaction. "Alright boys, kill the miko."

She was shocked, yet her fear had every muscle in her body tighten momentarily so her jaw couldn't drop. Only two of them attacked initially, and when she jumped back another four leaped after and the remainder spread quickly to flank their prey. They were good... She never wanted to scream 'bad dogs' so badly before in her life.

Okay... So, now that she just dodged three blows at once and had another streaking for her neck, Kagome felt at a loss for defense. A small burst of energy had the sword pausing, and she fell back enough for the swing to follow through and just barely graze her neck like a bad razor.

"Good!" Sheng yelled. Who's side was he on?!

Kagome, desperate as she began to fall back to the line of demons behind herself, remembered how to direct energy to her muscles.

The demons watched as she jumped really high and over them, not angling it right or something which made her perform an over exaggerated forward flip. Oh, shit...

"Graceful!" Sheng announced when she discovered she didn't know how to land. Her limbs flailed for a second before the ground embraced her with a grand 'hello'. Her palms specifically stung, which felt like jumping down from a wall and having needles launch up your legs starting from the numb soles of your feet. It hurt worse, surprisingly, for the hand not holding her sword still. Her right and armed hand had nigh-broken knuckles though...

As she cursed out a particular agreement-breaking demon in her head, Kagome rolled instinctively immediately after landing. She missed a sword, but instinct seemed to hate her and made her stop in the landing zone of another demon. His sword went ahead and sliced the top of her shoulder as it dug into the earth. Thankfully, her bone kindly kept the blade from going deeper into her skin...

She didn't scream though. It was odd, because the sword slicing her like a knife into bread was barely registered as everything else settled into her conscious. She was on her back, she was hurt, she was in bodily shock from the injury, and nine other blades were coming for her all at the same time, and she couldn't do anything about it. No one was there to save her.

Kagome thought she was going to die. End of story.

As time slowed her mind raced. The energy which was still wrapped uselessly around her shifted. It formed a penetrable dome not five inches above her stomach, and rendered the air inside it cold. Then, more energy circulated through her at speeds she was surprised didn't melt her body let alone tear through it. It drew itself from her very bones and ran along her nervous system to the point that it hurt. Then, as suddenly as she felt it, it leaped from her body and shot through the cold energy barrier and at her attackers.

The force and a combination of hot and cold made an explosion...

"_That's_ what I'm talking about!!" Sheng laughed as seven of his soldiers went flying away in various poses. He was rubbing his ears, so they were probably ringing.

Kagome felt like she would never recover from that moment... Mostly because her skin was still inhabited by her newfound miko-bomb. It was more subtle now, but she could feel her very cells ignite momentarily in a pulsating fashion, making her hot and her stomach churn. If she had her wits about herself next time, she'd make sure to never do that move ever again.

... Wait, there were three more demons to take care of...

For the next two minutes Kagome had to admit that she had her fill of dodging, ducking, diving, and flat out death defying demonstrations. At least those who experienced the bomb full-on were still unconscious. That, or they really didn't want another round and just stayed there. Having three well trained soldiers hot on your tail with your left shoulder out of commission and bleeding was still pretty bad though.

Blades, swords, sharpies, rendered steel, foiled agony, glimmering death, pointed doom, however you wanted to call it, it was being jabbed at her. Over, and over, and over again as she rolled and defied gravity while avoiding getting diced for the most part. By the time her patience bar was filled to the red zone, she had obtained about nine new scrapes.

"That's IT!" she finally screamed. Fine! If being attacked helped her, then by all means they should have at it! They were a bit unnerved by her suddenly turning around and facing them, standing stock still and panting, but one unfortunate victim decided to take advantage of her obvious stupidity.

Okay... Concentration was all she needed... And a great imagination... Let's see here, the hilt was a snowball... Or a pencil...

Sheng had a wide grin on his face when victim number eight had his sword not only ripped away from his iron grip but it began to chase him as well.

The other two attacked her at the same time, and Kagome thought she'd have a migraine stealing their weapons as well. Sadly though, it was really easy, and she got to see what happened when you took someone's toy away and slapped their ass repeatedly with it. They yelped a lot. One fool actually tried to grab his sword back by the blade, that was dumb, and then by the hilt but that's where a fistful of spiritual energy resided, so it was even more dumb.

Oh yeah... Pencil flying to the extreme... This was awesome...

Her skin was still way too hot though, and she finally stopped once she had all the men pinned to the ground.

"Was _that_ suppressed?" she asked Sheng when he applauded her. She imagined that the smile on her face looked rather stupid, but she was really quite pleased with this new trick of hers.

"Only a little," he told her. "Feeling better about your powers?"

"... Yes and no," she replied, bottling it up so the guys could get off their faces. Odd, it was still coursing through her. "I'm getting really hot for some reason, like a fever. Then again, demons don't have fevers, so you wouldn't know..."

"That will go away," he assured her.

"Oh really?" she asked. That was good to know, because so far she couldn't bid it away.

He nodded. "It is quite normal. All powerful demons go through that stage."

... Awkward... "I'm a miko though." She wiped her brow and was surprised to see the back of her hand soaked like it were kissed by a huge slug. Oh, gross!

"Indeed you are!" Sheng agreed. "And a great one at that! I'm glad you're staying a week so I can watch your progress!"

She was still a tad unnerved as sweat rolled down her cheek. Ick. "I'm a miko though."

"I heard you," he replied, actually ruffling her hair as she stood before him with a still drawn blade. "But if you use your powers like a demon, then you go through the stages like a demon. Simple as that!"

"... What other stages are there?"

His smirk wavered slightly. "Well..."

Kagome was very grateful for the spittoon in her room when she went rushing over to it later that night at the mere sight of food.

"It'll only last twenty four hours..." Sheng tried to assure her, being her social company with enough sake to kill a horse.

"Oh, kami!" she yelled to the stinky depths of her echoing pot. "What the hell is wrong with you demons?!"

"Well," he began, pausing for the splatter so she could hear him, "this part is usually short."

"Ooooh," she whimpered, shaky hand on the comparatively cold wall. She felt like her brain was boiling in its own fluids, and it made her vision double at times, which didn't help with her immense nausea. "What's next?"

The thing which happened next was cramps... And not the kind one received on her period. These were **far** worse.

"Make it STOP!!" she screamed at him, huddled into a tiny ball on the bed as she experience a battle of drawn out explosions in her muscles.

"Just give it time," Sheng suggested, for some reason not enjoying this with his sadistic side. "If it helps, you're progressing rather nicely."

"Demons have less grace than this??" she demanded. At least she wasn't trying to vomit up her spleen anymore.

"Yep," Sheng answered, making a note in a scroll he was reading over. "Some do this at the bodily age of seven, and they don't necessarily enjoy it."

Uuuuuuuuuugh... Why?? Even her _head_ had a cramp!

"Wheeeeen's it oooover?" she sobbed, tears leaking out of her eyes even though she wasn't crying.

"When it's over," he supplied. "Just be thankful you don't need to be tied down. I heard Sesshomaru nearly destroyed half his home in China when he went through this stage."

Although that was simply hilarious to imagine, Kagome was in no state of mind to acknowledge as much.

The cramps stayed for a while, and as they began to fade she got to feel her body temperature drop by twenty degrees in a matter of minutes. So, she bore with the next stage rather silently, her face a permanent mask of displeasure and agony as her body shook beyond her control. Sheng was understanding and nice enough to draw the blanked over her, but that didn't help much. It felt like her very soul was freezing over. She got some sleep at that point though. Not much, but some was better than nothing. The nausea later came back with a vengeance.

"Do you _have_ to watch this...?" she pouted from her bed. If being pregnant ever felt anything like this, she was rendering herself sterile.

Next phase, her bones were made of glass and her muscles of tissue paper. She got even more sleep then, but whenever she stirred a fractional inch she woke up cursing, which only added to the problem.

"Hey, Sheng," she mumbled miserably quite a bit later, now on her side and facing the demon who knew all of this was coming and didn't warn her.

"Yes?" he asked, taking a drink without removing his sights from another parchment. He signed the bottom of it.

"Why the hell is this happening...?"

"Hm," he hummed almost warmly. "It's the body's way of coping. Don't worry, you're almost to the headache stage, then it's over."

And he was right. She felt like someone decided to insert an ax into her scalp and wiggle it slowly from left to right until it gradually came free and left a dull, moan inducing agony which synchronized with her heartbeats.

"Is it fading?" Sheng asked, making her wince at the noise.

"When I get better..." she began, worn out. Damn, it really was her luck to be stuck going without sleep every other night for six days, wasn't it? "I swear, I'm taking whatever energy or understanding of the meaning of life which comes of this, and I'm shoving it straight up your ass..."

He began reading the next sheet. "Vulgar women truly are the best."

Kagome glared at him through what felt to be swollen eyes. "I'm not vulgar, I'm righteously ticked."

He chuckled at that. "Alright then. Think you can stomach food?"

Her initial response to that was a 'no', considering she had seen too much food come out of her than into her in the last day to really want to be refueled. He took 'no' as a 'yes' though, and he called a servant in and told the man that Kagome really wanted a bowl of rice and plenty of tea and pond-cooled water.

She glared death at him. Well, the water sounded really nice, but she didn't want any food...

Ten minutes later, she wanted food, and she got food.

"Careful not to choke," he recommended.

"Sure," she replied, bringing the spout of the water container to her mouth and tipping it. She savored how the cool fluid not only went down her throat but over her face and down her neck as well. When she let it down, gasping for air, she noticed Sheng was staring. "I am _not_ ladylike, FYI." Who _could_ be ladylike when they felt like they had just rid themselves of a third of their body water in a few hours?

He nodded, smirking over some personal joke.

"Now," she began again, taking another bite and not caring what he saw of it once it left the chopsticks, "I want to know why I can't bottle my energy up anymore."

"Bottle it up?" he asked. "That would be a waste."

She got angry, and couldn't help it when a flair escaped her skin like a bright mist. "Will you please give me a direct answer??"

He was probably the most patient person in the world, and deep down she really did appreciate that.

"It is nothing more than the fact that your connection to your power has widened," he informed her. "To 'bottle it up' takes more time and focus now. When you do though, I'll warn you now, you're going to feel like a mortal."

She scoffed. "I've always felt like a mortal."

He smirked. "On the contrary, you probably never have."

As they debated her sense of mortality, time slipped on, and Kagome was relieved of him for the quickly dawned night. She couldn't remember the last time she slept so soundly.

In the long run, Kagome supposed that her twenty four hours of 'let's have fun tempting death' was worth it, because she was able to face ten demons and beat them without changing her stance. Accomplishing as much, however, took a lot of time and many soldiers to practice on. Some men were actually coming regularly to watch her, and began to place bets.

"Alright," Sheng smirked, checking in passing the vitality of a fallen man with his toe as he approached, "I suppose no matter how many times I tell them to kill you they simply can't."

Kagome felt like her ego was just pet, and it made her want to blush and make a stupid smirk.

"So, I'm doubling the number."

She blinked, momentarily scared. Then she got cocky. "Alright, bring them on!"

Five days of this went by, and by the end of it Kagome was feeling very good about herself. Surprisingly, demons respected anyone who could beat them and not rub it in their face, especially if it happened to be a female miko. She got along well with most of them, and was invited to hang out on several occasions. It seemed that only the really old demons who had many encounters before her were truly prejudice of 'her kind', but she could live with that. On the evening of her sixth day being there, Sheng steered her aside to have a conversation.

"You're _what_?" she asked.

"I'm leaving," he repeated. "I have to visit Lord Sesshomaru beforehand though, and will stay at the main o-shiro for approximately a month securing matters in the council, but I am returning to China afterwards and will not come to Japan for a long time."

Something rang like a bell in Kagome's head. He was going to visit Sesshomaru. She could tag along, yes?

"No."

"Why not?!" she whined.

He smirked, ever patient. "Because my reputation would be destroyed."

... Good point... She supposed that bringing a well trained human miko to your demon boss' place was a bad thing.

"I have, however, made arrangements..."

She wanted to hug him. Out in the yard they just walked to was a two headed dragon who he said went by the name of Ah-Un, and it apparently always knew where the main o-shiro was.

"He's been here for a while," Sheng told her. "Mostly for the type of winter vegetation we sport in the garden; the female servants hate him annually eating their work. Anyway, I'll just assume you know how to will a demon to be your friend and coincidentally end up at a certain place in, say, two days..."

She hugged him, and he actually hugged her back for a moment.

They both left the regiment that evening, Sheng staying upwind from Kagome while she lead Ah-Un by his reins and a week's worth of radishes.

"I can't believe you took a bath," Kagome teased the old demon. "At least you'll smell pretty."

"Well, can't really give anyone reason to believe you and I met," Sheng explained sheepishly, minding his distance from her.

"Yeah, despite all the soldiers and servants knowing?" Kagome asked.

Sheng waved it off. "They may gossip, but word won't travel too quickly from a regiment to the castle. Seems unfathomable, but those two don't have a strong social connection."

"... Why wouldn't they?" she asked.

Sheng smirked. "Because I would happen to be it."

They both had a laugh at that. Alright, so his secret was safe for now. She was busy asking him questions on location and timing when something shifted in her head with a resonating 'thunk'.

"Hey, Sheng?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you do all of this for me?" she asked. She had wondered this for a long time now. Really, why? Certainly she wasn't so likable that he'd risk a few things for her sake. He even trained her, though he said that if that came up he _did_ order the soldiers to kill her, not be practice dummies of any sort.

He smiled at nothing, the snow glimmering in the fields under the nearly full moon. "Sometimes, things are just meant to be."

"... Um, that sounded important, but what?"

He chuckled. "Never you mind. Just stay alive for a while, make camp, do whatever, then in a couple of days tell Ah-Un where you want to go and he'll take you there, alright?"

He left shortly after that, and Kagome pet two muzzles wanting attention.

"Hey Ah-Un," she said to him conversationally, "want to surprise a little girl and get her scent all over us?"

Kagome was betting that Sango would be more than shocked that the chat had lasted so long and she survived it...

"You're back already??"

"Not what I was expecting," Kagome admitted, confronted with a puzzled slayer, an annoyed hanyou, an indifferent monk and children. Also, there was a new face which she hadn't seen for so very long.

"KAAAGOOOMEEE!!"

Needless to say, Kagome's torso was bombarded so sufficiently that she went falling backwards into the snow.

"I've missed you so much!!" Shippo sobbed. Kagome was at once delighted and astonished. And boy, had he grown!!

"Look at you!" she laughed, holding him up around his torso. "What a strapping young man you're becoming!"

Shippo offered her a toothy grin. His clothes had changed, save for his fur vest which seemed to grow with him. She couldn't hold him suspended at arm's length for ever, so Kagome gave him a bear hug and shared her loving coos of happiness to see him again.

Then her bottom got soaked in the snow bank, and she carried him inside so she could thaw. He was too big to allow on one shoulder, so she held him on her hip until he wanted down.

"So, what happened?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome watched Shippo run about with Rin and the twins around Ah-Un, who seemed to delight in it.

"Hm?" she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder. "When?"

His gaze leveled at her. "When you were kidnapped by that other inu..."

"Oh!" she yelled, remembering. "Yeah! Wow, it's been a while... Right, his name's Sheng. He's a pretty cool guy! His age lies."

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed halfheartedly. "You might as well have not left me worried about you for a week then."

Kagome felt her lips curl in a cute and evil fashion. "Awwww... Inuyasha was _worried_ about me!"

His ears went flat against his head in a scared and affronted manner, then shot straight forward defiantly. "Keh! Did not!"

"Is that the best you can come up with?" she taunted.

He was silent, so she smiled and gave him a quick head drill with her knuckles. He always hated those, despite how rarely she did them, but they were fun and he knew it. After a few more minutes Kagome decided to show the kids how to build snowmen, and poor Rin tried to make a snow-Ah-Un. She did a mini version instead, picked it up, showed it to the dragon, and one of its heads took a bite out of it.

After two days, Kagome said her goodbyes, still promising to make it to the twin's birthdays, and mounted Ah-Un. It broke her heart how badly Rin wanted to come, but she made a really dumb promise in exchange that she not feel too bad about remaining behind. Kagome promised that Sesshomaru would visit her within a month, and how she was going to accomplish that if he wasn't willing was way beyond her. No one, save for Rin and Sango, knew where Kagome was going. But, even if everyone did, they wouldn't be able to stop her let alone even try to. Well, Inuyasha might have...

Ah-Un was told to go home, and with Kagome's backpack secured behind the saddle with her bow slung safely over it he leaped into the air. He was a lot more bulky and blundering than Kirara, but in exchange for the odd start he was a smooth flier all the way through, not needing to move his legs at all.

It was over an hour of one anxiety attack after another as Kagome searched for some grand establishment to reveal itself from the horizon. She'd get excited that a grove or a cloud shadow was it gray shape, but it never was and she had to tell herself to stop getting frantic like that. As time went on, Ah-Un suddenly began to accelerate and rise into the air for what appeared to be a wispy cloud. Kagome panicked, and leaned forward to grab one of his necks.

It got colder the higher they went, and by the time Kagome breathed again out of necessity she could actually taste the lack of oxygen. She wondered if the dragon knew what he was doing, but Sheng told her to trust it so she did.

They dove into the cloud, and feeling a particular charge in the air Kagome examined how secure her sword was on her left hip before focusing ahead. She could feel a barrier, and was still wondering where it was when it smacked the whole front of her body. Despite how good she usually was with barriers, this one proved to be as annoyingly painful as rolling around in a pool of needles. When they passed through the first things to greet them were arrows.

Ah-Un dodged with minimal effort, since his scales were like armor. He simply didn't enjoy being shot at, so he avoided the pointy sticks.

Kagome quickly lifted her arms to protect herself, and she suddenly felt like she was pressurized when a shield puffed from her to envelop even Ah-Un.

There were stairs nearby, so Kagome jumped down with only her sword and trusted that Ah-Un would stick around so she could get her bag later.

There were thirty demons in the rows flanking those steps, and many more beyond them out of sight. Kagome was illogically elated though, because she could feel Sheng's energy clearly somewhere uphill and far away, and next to it she could distinguish Sesshomaru's.

* * *

**A/N:** Is anyone starry-eyed yet? By the way, I'm having a great time laughing about this cliffy, in case you're wondering. My sides actually hurt.

Something else I wanted to state, some reviews are becoming really hard to reply to and I'm going to stop responding to those in particular. I know that was really short and abrupt, but compared to what I had written earlier, trust me, shorter is better. :D

Reviews, please! I'll update ASAP in return! XD


	6. How Dare You

**A/N:** Well, I have nothing to say yet. XD Except for, bear with me. :3

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**How Dare You**

Although Kagome was delighted by her proximity to the demon lord whose ass she sought to beat, there were still more arrows flying at her all too happily.

"What IS it with men's 'shoot now, ask questions later' mentalities?!" she demanded, reaching her energy out to seize the bows and snap them in half. She then proceeded to book it up the stairs for all that she was wroth, because now the soldiers were resorting to heavy, long-ranged halberds with pretty gut-grabbing moon blades at one end and a spear at the other.

She swore that there was a path or arrows embedded in the stairs as she ran and leaped away from the danger, the sounds of heavy footsteps echoing behind. She just needed to get to flat ground. Flat ground was good, because then she could see everyone on the same horizontal plane as herself.

Well, when she reached the top, the thing which greeted her was indeed not a flat plane... It was an irregular sea of observing helmets.

"Oh, kami..." she gasped. Come on people, she just raced up about two flights of stairs dodging arrows and pikes!!

They really didn't seem to pity her though, because once the curiosity was over with the weapons were lifted.

"You guys made the first move!" she informed them, feeling her powers boil from her being and enshroud her. Although it was a lot, like one would expect flames would be from someone dunked in gasoline first, Kagome had full control over the white mist of energy. The best part of that, was that the demons knew she did, and the rear lines took a step back while the forward lines attacked.

Kagome's senses sharpened. Slightly, but they did. She could hear the sounds of various sharpened tips as they came screaming through the air, slitting the throat of space to greedily impale her. They were ten feet away, eight, six, four, two... They didn't get past two though.

Kagome felt quite smug to see everyone's faces as their weapons of choice embedded her personal barrier ever so slightly, then stick there.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" she asked them all with a grin, polished wood and glinting steel sticking out in various places. Within the two foot range, she had full control over any objects not already in possession of someone else. Any further and she'd have to truly concentrate on depriving them of an assault tactic.

That's alright though, their attempt in making her a pin cushion in fact turned her into quite the thorned sea urchin, and like a good sea urchin she bore a great poison.

Kagome breathed out steadily, trying to not cut off her concentration on the steadfast barrier as her energy reached out over the levitating arms and made them into glowing extensions of herself. The demons actually stepped away, quite possibly not knowing what to do with her. They were indeed trained soldiers, but none of them were strong enough to send out an energy attack to disrupt her focus. To do that would be far too much like Sheng suppressing her powers with his own.

Well, one brave volunteer drew his sword and stepped out of the peanut gallery. He paused when Kagome held her hands before herself, holding the north and south poles of an imaginary ball, and pretending to spin it. It wasn't the ball or the air which spun in her hands, it was her demon-friendly shield.

The poor fool tried to take a step closer though and he ended up getting his sword captured. She added it to the barrier after pommeling his gut with the hilt.

This all took roughly fifteen seconds, which was a decent amount of time before quite a few higher class demons decided to come out and see what the trouble was.

She felt, almost like she was addicted to the sensation of his power, every step Sesshomaru took. Glancing to the side, a rice paper door slid open, almost slowly, and it took her breath away.

She saw him.

He was there, and her heart felt like it had grown little wings so as to flutter over to him. She broke said wings with a gulp and remembered that she was in a brilliant bad mood when he was concerned.

The demon lord seemed rather mad too, because he glared at Kagome and- Left?! He went right back through the door! And the bastard **shut** it, too!! Sheng followed him, along with the two women who were in the background of the room.

Oh. He was ignoring her, was he? Like hell... How _dare_ he upset a pissed off miko?!

She took in an almost painful breath, and let it out with a glorious word.

"**SESSHY!!**" she bellowed across the jammed pack courtyard at the door, storming angrily closer as the guards parted from her glowing, spinning, sea urchin globe of death. "**You**** are SUCH an IMMATURE, ****REGAL ****PRICK****!! GET out here and FIGHT me, or I SWEAR, I'll purify this WHOLE place with you IN IT!!**"

Everyone could tell that she got his attention... The roof nearly blew off. Despite his very obvious anger though he came out at a walk, the door suffering quite a bit as it was persuaded open, and even more demons parted way to avoid being fried by _his_ roiling aura.

Oh yes. A bad day for soldiers would be their lord and a miko both lit like a match over dynamite.

"About damn time!" Kagome yelled, sounding braver than she felt as she came to a stop in the middle of the court yard. Kami, his eyes were _red_... For a minute anyway.

...

She was GOOD... It was nice to know she could tweak any possible good mood of his almost effortlessly.

The two women who were with Sesshomaru and Sheng decided to watch from the sidelines, expressions revealing their expectations of entertainment.

"You should consider yourself lucky to still be alive, miko," he informed her. Oh, man, she was going to have fun. Even if she died, at least she'd die laughing at him. She had not only Sesshomaru, but a _crowd_ which **obeyed** him to work over now. "You may turn and leave now, and that is your only warning."

She laughed, random weapons still spinning about herself in an orb. "I could say the same to you, **Sesshy**." Oh, his eyes narrowed. He was _pissed_. Good. "It's not every day you have such an angry miko at your doorstep, I presume?"

For some reason his features softened. Slightly. VERY slightly, but they did. Then they got twice as hard.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then," she continued, withdrawing Tenseiga and chucking it at him. He caught it as she raised her own sword. "Sesshy, _this Kagome_ challenges you to a fight."

The soldiers began to discretely back off, some tripping over their own feet.

"To the death?" he offered, their fighting ring widening exponentially when he tucked the sheath into his sash and drew Tenseiga.

"Sure," she agree. "Why not. I'd never hear the end of things when I beat you anyway."

He smirked, and she suppressed a shiver. Damn him... There was an out of place giggle in the silence, and Kagome glanced to see the young, white haired inu demoness chuckling behind her hand. She looked like the right sort to be Sesshomaru's mom. She was talking with Sheng and the other old demoness. The elders bore smiles as they- They were staring at her?? And laughing?

"Oh beat it!" she yelled at them, wondering how Sheng would react to her indifference to him. The outburst made the older demons smile all the wider as their eyebrows rose, Sheng appearing smug for some reason. The younger simply scowled.

"Nice pick, _Sesshy_," Sheng laughed with a hand cupped to the side of his mouth for emphasis, and the women couldn't hold in the belly laughs anymore. "She's simply **divine**!"

Pick? Kagome was a pick? Of what?? Mikos to make angry?

Sesshomaru was infuriate... Sheng was a good man, but Kagome felt like there was a hidden joke behind this. It even had some of the soldiers ready to burst with suppressed laughter. This was confusing, but Kagome was happy to have been helped in sheering another layer off of Sesshomaru's sense of pride. If she survived this, she was going to hug that old man.

Tenseiga pulsed in Sesshomaru's hand, which Kagome could sense familiarly now. She realized they were both just standing there.

"I know you're emotionally a block of ice, but this won't be much of a fight if you're one physically, too!"

So it started. It must have been the first fight to ever start with laughing onlookers.

Kagome's spiritual ball was shattered when Sesshomaru's energy ate away at hers, and she instantly blocked the blade. But, the fist was unexpected... There were white specks in her vision, and she landed against something firm which gave way. When she blinked, the once levitating weapons still clattering to the ground, she found that she was laying across two soldiers and rolling away as Sesshomaru tried to skin her alive, whether or not his troops were in the way.

"You know," she commented, standing and rubbing her jaw as she was poised ten feet away from him. There was a coppery taste in her mouth, and she spat some blood. "That was pretty good for a lord..."

There was silence as he lifted Tenseiga for the next bought. Kagome took her right hand from the blade and decided to make it into a spiritual fist. "Let's see how well _I_ fare!"

This time she blocked three sword strikes before going down, but she used the fall to her advantage. She caught herself easily, since Keiji had her rolling quite a few times in the last few years, and instead of following the momentum to sit onto her heels she lunged to the side and leaped back at him with sword ready. Sesshomaru had to make a quick ninety degree turn to block it, and swinging his balde out under hers he made her stagger away. He had tried to make her blade fly up and over her head, but that would have left her torso wide open and she almost strained her muscles keeping the sword down. Okay, she had to admit, he was stronger than her.

She realized how close she was to Sheng and the gang when she heard voices above and behind herself.

"-quite the feisty thing though, isn't she?"

"His 'preferences' must be _hereditary_."

She dodged when Sesshomaru tried to lop off her head.

"Be gentle, Sesshomaru," the younger of the trio almost ordered when he followed Kagome's retreat. "If you do not want her, then I do!"

... What?? "Like hell if I'd ever be the pet of a **dog**!" Kagome informed the woman, trying desperately to not allow her sword to be embedded into her stomach by the pressure of his. She needed to boost her arm strength to get him off, and when Tenseiga swept to the left side was when she found an opening.

It felt REALLY good to make him stagger back two steps with a solid spiritual punch. It left a hole in his clothes over his sternum, and it was smoking.

"I hope you **bruise**!" she yelled her best wishes to him.

She was always one to get her mind out of battle for a good insult...

There was a sickening crack which she was sure many others heard as the breath was knock out of her. Sesshomaru moved too fast for her to calculate, and had punched her straight in the sternum. He caught her before she could go flying though, his strong arm holding her up under her shoulder blades, and with a straight face he brought the butt of Tenseiga straight down onto the right half of her collar bone.

Her sword clattered to the ground.

...

Ow...

Ow.

Ow!

OW!!

She couldn't breathe, and every time she tried a horrible pain pulsed like an outfit of needles throughout her body, starting at the bone he had broken. If someone took a picture, she'd look like quite the heart stolen maiden as she gapped up at him, leaning back into his grip.

If only she didn't know he would block a kick between the legs, because she would have tried it.

What kept her knees firm was that damned smirk of his, his face a mere foot away. She tried demanding that her arm function. And, it _did_!

"You insufferable asshole!!" she hollered as she lunged at him painfully and wrapped her glowing fingers around his neck. His eyes widened fractionally before narrowing to deadly slits. "Why the **hell **did you do **that**,you fucking **cheat**!!"

She felt like her skin was going to rip open so that the bone could go hopping away. It couldn't do that though, because he grabbed the injured bone and it all went downhill from there. Oh kami... It hurt so bad! All he had to do was _touch_ it and her vision went black! By the time she blinked it away she realized she had tears in her eyes and someone was helping her sit up as she sat on the ground.

"Oh, _control_ yourself!" the Sheng yelled as he held Sesshomaru back, which actually required quite a bit of energy to do. Kagome was too delirious from the pain to feel accomplished in burning her hand prints into Sesshomaru's neck and making his eyes a pretty shade of red again. Whatever dignity or composure Sesshomaru could possibly desire was evidently on vacation at the moment. He looked like an attack dog on the end of a leash, and she was the meat.

That made her giggle at him. What a dog...

Gentle fingers touched the oddly shaped and swelling skin around her broken bone and she let out a yelled and slapped it. She noted that she was being held up by a demoness...

"Let me go so I can finish what I started!" she yelled, trying to get back to her feet, her energy coursing violently through her in response to Sesshomaru's. Yeah, right, she could still take him. So long as he'd fall with her breathing on him, she'd definitely win! That wasn't the point though.

"You may finish, if you so choose, when you heal," the elder demoness replied smoothly, easily holding her down to Kagome's displeasure. The elder turned to the crowd. "The miko has declared this an unfair fight! I validate the accusation and its resumption in one lunar cycle!"

"I second it!" Sheng concurred, still holding Sesshomaru's arms back. Sesshomaru was so shocked by this sudden news that his eyes melted back down to golden orbs and he blinked with genuine surprise.

"Ridiculous!" he actually yelled, yanking himself from the old man's grip. He wouldn't have succeeded in doing that if Sheng hadn't willingly let go.

"I agree to the terms," the younger demoness stated calmly. "One month shall be alloted, for your damage to be undone."

"I'll heal in _half_ the time!" Kagome protested. She didn't want to be stuck there. Not even for two weeks.

"We can have her healed in an _hour_," Sesshomaru stated angrily. "And such an attack was not out of the fight agreement."

"No help is to be given to combatants in that time frame," the elder woman informed, gesturing for two nearby guards to come over. "And you forget, Sesshomaru, the _our_ laws which overrule any qualm you may have with this miko."

"Touch me, and I'll **purify** you!" Kagome yelled at the soldiers who bent to help her up. She swore she must have looked something like an injured cat who just crawled out of a stream and was none too pleased about it.

"And when was the rule of no assistance given to an opponent in a fight to the death established?" Sesshomaru demanded.

"Oh, now, actually," the old man supplied, smirking. "And since we happen to be talking about it, I vote 'yes' to its staying."

The older woman nodded. Kagome had never seen Sesshomaru so aggravated before. It was... positively delightful.

Despite Kagome's sincerest threats she was carried off to a room where servants were just finishing with making the bed, the incense smoke curling irregularly in a corner as the sheets parachuted down to be tucked in. Despite herself, laying down was a very good thing, so Kagome allowed being settled onto her back; she refused to utter any noise, but inside her head she was simply screaming. She was sweating over the pain of being moved all the way across that damnably huge o-shiro to that room, but when it subsided to an everlasting migraine isolated to the far reaches of her brain Kagome was left with nothing to do but realize how tired she was...

There was a knock, and her eyes opened to see that it was nighttime. She went to sit up, but surrendered herself to the mattress when a numbing agony reminded her of her condition.

"Who is it!" she yelled, blinking as the fact that she was in another strange place entered her mind. She was very good and winding up in the most unlikely of situations.

The door slid open, revealing both Sheng and one of two guards on duty outside.

"I see you are awake, young miko," he commented unfamiliarly.

Kagome was in no mood to smile over seeing the kooky old demon again, since the overruling expression was a wince, but played along. "Listen, _demon_, it's rather unethical to kill a woman while she's down. And my name is Kagome, please use it more than once to prove to me that your memory lasts..."

He smirked, but resisted a chuckle. He did, after all, have to put up the image that they had no idea who one another were and had no friendly connections of any sort. A different guard stepped into the room and remained by the door. Kagome felt like the guard was there to monitor things, not entirely to protect. Sheng could handle himself, after all...

"Memory does not fade with time for demons as it does for humans, Lady Kagome," Sheng stated smoothly, completely indifferent to her. That's alright, she could be indifferent back. Especially since he called her a 'lady'. She _hated_ it when Miroku called her that when they first met. She glanced at the old demon from the corner of her eye. It even hurt to try and move her head to the side. That damn dog... She hoped those burns _stayed_ in his neck... "You will know me by the title Lord Sheng. To continue, by the laws of the fight into which you so boldly blundered into," he smirked while she frowned, though inside she was giggling; he was making fun of her, and he knew it, "you will remain at this o-shiro for a complete lunar cycle before returned to the fight, should both you and the Lord Sesshomaru choose to continue it. To back out from a fight to the death means to hand your life over to your opponent, so they may decide how to execute it."

... Execute...? Huh... That was a far more scary concept when you weren't hyped up on fighting...

Sheng continued before she could ask anything though. "In accordance to your retainment, you are strictly forbidden to engage in another fight to the death, and are restrained from using your powers unless it is in an effort to remain alive for your delayed duel. However, if you should take another life within this month, your own will be taken in compensation. Is that understood?"

Kagome had to admit, this was far more complex than she ever imagined it could be. So, like a good confused human, she gave a somewhat confused but agreeing 'u-huh'.

"Good," he began anew. "Furthermore, these are your quarters for the remainder of your time here. You will be watched and cared for. Food, care, and adequate clothing will be provided for your stay." He snapped his fingers, and two young inu women came meekly in from the hall. "These will be your caretakers, Jia and Bai."

Kagome watched as their heads nodded to their respected titles. Jia was the younger, looking to be about sixteen in age, and had sheer black hair which was braided back and decorated with tiny flowers. Kagome swore, if that demon ran anywhere her heels would kick up the end of her tied hair. Bai was actually quite older, and for a demon had pepper speckled hair. She was younger than Sheng, since he had deeper wrinkles and fully gray hair, but Kagome saw a look in the servant's eye that screamed 'I'm a serious bitch, no fun and games'. It seemed like quite the odd couple of watch dogs for her...

"Should you need anything, ask it of them," Sheng finished. "We of the council will be sure to check up on you from time to time, so do not attempt making a complex sutra or barrier. Trust me, it **will **be sensed."

Kagome gave another hum, and with a short but warm smile Sheng returned to a serious veteran face and left.

"Um!" Kagome began, wishing to smack herself when the three eyes-and-ears known as guards and servants seemed to perk for details. Sheng stopped, but didn't face her. "Thanks, I guess, for explaining all that..."

He heard it, but didn't act like he did. He didn't even nod before continuing on his way, and she felt very alone when that door shut.

The women, Jia and Bai, were alright. Jia was a potential delight, if you removed her tendency to inch away from any spiritual being who glanced at her, and Bai... Well...

"_What_ is that wretched smelling 'food' you're eating?"

Kagome looked up from her little baggy of dried fruits. She was glad to have never dipped into her stores of consumable goodies, because now she had something to eat and she was guaranteed that it wasn't poisoned. Besides, her right arm felt too out of commission to use chopsticks, especially since her handmaids had forced it into a makeshift sling.

"It's called banana slices," Kagome replied, forcing the scowl from her features. What a bitter hag... "Would you like to try some?"

Bai wrinkled her apparently sensitive nose at the proffered fruit slice and looked away. Like Kagome, those women were somewhat imprisoned. They were more like cell maids rather than attendants, and the two guards outside kept a good watch on the room.

After another hour of being watched, Kagome was ready to put aside her book and try to fix this.

"Jia, would you mind asking someone for sake and tea for five?"

Bai scoffed. "Quite the combination..."

Kagome half rolled her eyes with a lazy huff. "Yeah, well, it's nice to have a variety for more than one person."

In ten minutes, an unfamiliar female shuffled past the door, placed the tray with drinks and stacked cups on the low table, and left without a word.

Kagome labored to her feet, pulling at her very fractured bone with the most innocent of movements. She finally made it to the sliding door though.

"Hey!" she greeted out the bedroom with a smile to the guards. She could feel her hair settle from a gentle swing with her enthusiastic visit, and still the guards paid her no heed. She refused to be discouraged though. "If you want to keep a better watch on me, there's some sake and tea in here which you're more than welcome to."

They ignored her.

"Not that I'm encouraging you to get drunk, I think it takes a lot to make demons drunk... And if anything, _I'll_ be the one to get poisoned. ... I know how boring it is to just stay in one spot doing something mundane, so, if you want a break, you can glare at me over a cup of drink, alright?"

Well, one of them glanced at her, and she offered a smile before closing the door most of the way. She left it gapped, sort of like an open invitation.

"I _refuse_ to touch it," Bai informed when Kagome nudged some tea towards her. It was hard to pour the stuff with your unfamiliar hand without spilling, then nudging it. Surprisingly enough, some gestures with her left arm strained her fracture, and she was getting quite angry with the jerk who caused it. "Knowing you, you have some miko trick up your sleeve."

Kagome laughed at the old woman, which was short lived until further healing was done. Sometimes, age certainly did not guarantee wisdom. Jia seemed to be enjoying herself though, sipping at some tea nervously. The poor thing actually flinched when Kagome laughed.

"You know, I wasn't trained to be a miko," she began conversationally, thinking of ways to relieve the strain of sitting upright. Oye. She knew that she'd be hard pressed to ever get these demons to trust her, but she had to start somewhere. "And you're more than welcome to think I'm full of shit. I honestly don't care, because that's your call, not mine. Anyway, my powers didn't come to me naturally. My life had to be threatened several times to awaken them and get them to the level they're at now." She poured herself another cup of tea, thinking herself lucky now that they can sense a lie. "Come to think of it, I was never really even trained by any spiritual person. All of my important training came from demons."

_THAT_ caught some attention.

"Really?" Jia asked, fingers shifting around her drink as her sunny yellow eyes glanced nervously up at Kagome. She had a very soft voice, like a child's whisper. It was the first time Kagome had heard her talk.

"Yep!" she replied. "Which is really odd. I mean, you all hate me because I'm a miko, so that's a given, and I don't stand too well with 'my kind' because I just don't fit in. It's really annoying... Heh, I even went through that twenty-four hour session of pain that demons experience, so that sucked."

Jia gave a very small smile behind her cup, hiding it from Bai. "You must be strong, then."

Bai gave the younger servant a glare.

Kagome shrugged, then noted to not do that again. "I don't really know yet. I'm still learning." She finished off her second cup of tea, and decided to scoot back two feet to lean against the wall. Even though she was still upright, it shifted her weight to a more comfortable angle. "In fact, the only time I'm able to use a lot of power at once so far is when I'm either angry or scared, and trust me, that's annoying."

Jia looked uncertainly at Bai, but decided to ask anyway. "You are angry with the Lord?"

"Jia," Bai scolded.

"Oh, can it," Kagome snapped at Bai.

The old woman looked affronted, as she should. She probably didn't even know what that term meant, but the message behind it was obvious.

"You know what?" Kagome began anew, "if you hate me _that_ much, then you're more than welcome to leave this room and never come back. And don't give me that look, I don't care what the lords or ladies here said, Lord Sheng stated directly that you were here to serve me for a full month. Thusly, it's my right to do us both a favor by dismissing you immediately."

Even the two guards glanced into the room when they heard that. Yeah, Kagome was disrespectful, but dear kami the line _had_ to be drawn sometime!

"Well, just to let you know," Bai began snootily, "whatever you say doesn't affect my doings. My orders come straight from my Lady, and _not_ from some dirt-value miko who thinks she can waltz in here and take over things."

... Alright, despite the pain, Kagome laughed at her again. It was an angry laugh though.

"Oh..." she finally sighed, deciding to scoot forward and pour another cup. "You have no backbone, Bai."

That was, evidently, a great insult to inus. Bai stiffened her spine, pursed her lips, then stood and stormed out. The guards had to quickly resume their positions to avoid being knocked aside by the elder bitch.

Kagome giggled. "Hey, Jia, mind helping me?"

Kagome, with great difficulty, moved her end of the table so that the furniture corner was halfway in front of the sliding door.

"Alright," Kagome sighed, pouring two more cups of steaming herbal tea and nudging them to the side for the guards. "In case you're interested. Now, to answer your question Jia, I am actually _quite_ bad at your lord."

She finished off her cup, and it was so obvious how the guards ears twitched. Yeah, go ahead, spread this news like wildfire. It would only do Kagome good, if she phrased it correctly.

"I mean, almost two weeks ago, that ass decides to suddenly appear to give his greetings or whatever he had in mind, got mad at me, and then he wouldn't even face me in person."

Jia smiled weakly, shifting a little. "He _is_ a lord, miss miko."

"Please, just call me Kagome. No formality, I insist."

Jia nodded.

"And furthermore," Kagome went on to defend herself. "The only reason that pompous ass is a lord is because of his birth right, and to me that means nothing. Just because you're born into royalty doesn't mean you have what it takes." Oh, yes, that was a blow. The guard Kagome could see shifted his feet. "Aside from that, I also don't care if he's a lord. You know why? Because I'm not the dirt under his feet, and I'm not to be taken for granted like that. If he plans on trying it, then he should plan on suffering the consequences as well. That's the problem with men, they think women are nothing so long as they say 'yes' to anything they want. The issue here is that your Lord Sesshy is having a hard time swallowing the fact that I'm _not_ like other women, and his stubbornness isn't going to change that any time soon." She loved to bitch about him... "Besides, if he went all that way just to talk to me about something, then he should have had the balls to do so by the time he got there. He's wasted too much of my time, making me track him down to give back that sword, for me to be happy about things."

To say the least, Jia was red in the face and looking like she really wanted to agree, but would be killed if she did. So thusly, she remained silent, and shifted a lot. Kagome continued talking for a few more minutes, and was quite happy when a guard discretely bent down to drink some tea in one swallow and return the cup to the table. Kagome had asked if he wanted more, but since he was silent she decided to take that for a 'no'. He would have to learn to speak to her like she existed before she gave him anything he didn't want.

As time flew, Kagome eventually dismissed herself to the bed, not really sure what the demons would do while she slept. Would they stay there? Switch shifts with someone? Simply leave? She wondered as much, then her mind spun off onto unrealistic scenarios of what would happen when she awoke, or if she awoke.

Turned out, she woke because of how cold it felt in the room, then her eyes opened with a start when the blankets were yanked away and something hit her with a slosh.

"Ah!!" she cried out as the sensation of jabbing needles hit her. She sat up so quickly that she felt her broken bones grind, and through her wince she looked to see Bai with an bucket. Kagome had been drenched in winter cold water, now pooled around her waist and quickly numbing her skin. She realized this and scrambled off the bed, limbs shaking from the shock and sudden adrenaline rush as her muscles flexed spasmodically. "What was that for?!"

Bai looked rather smug. "It is time to wake up," she informed helpfully.

Kagome had probably gotten four hours of sleep, and the sky was still pitch black. The only reason she could see the sky though was because _someone_ had thrown open the doors to the outside, and she could see the snow raining down and blowing in with the cold wind. The temperature had dropped to extremely low with the blizzard, and being near mount Fuji's peak for it was a horrible combination.

Kagome was so cold that her entire body shook, and despite how much she wanted to kick the woman's ass she could only manage to hug herself as best she could and sit against the wall, huddling in on herself tightly. The water had been splashed from the top of her head to her groin, and the cold was seeping freely towards her organs. She was drenched, and the room was freezing, and she didn't know when the sun would be up. All of this spelled 'disaster' in bold letters, especially since there was no such thing as a hospital and flu vaccines in the past.

"Mind your manners next time, miko," Bai stated. She walked for the door, and it opened with an urgent clatter before she reached it.

Kagome's ears were ringing now as water dripped from her clothes, but she could definitely hear the bucket drop and a sound slap. Someone hit the ground as her teeth began to chatter, her skin feeling like it was ripping in hundreds of places as her muscles clenched instinctively. She couldn't believe the shock her body was going through because of this, and her injury felt like it was glass and slowly cracking further to the breaking point. It made her wince and clench her jaw tight enough to still her teeth and make them grind as they shifted fully shut.

She yelled out in pain when she was suddenly jostled, and her eyes opened when she was lifted to her feet. Something, that really annoying something deep down inside, wanted to see that Sesshomaru had lifted her.

"Are you alright?" Sheng asked, actually seeming worried. Kagome would have responded, but was too shocked by him quickly disrobing her.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, trying to clutch her icy wet fabrics to herself to remain covered. She tried her best with her left arm alone, because her fight now hung at her side sorely.

"No need to die over decency," he jested, not phased at all by her future lack of coverage as her white haori flopped like a dead fish to the ground. It didn't even land before he was undoing the ties of her hakama with a practiced hand. "You need to take the wet clothes off, they're seeping your body heat."

That was obvious, now that she actually thought about it. Although she hated every aspect of it, she allowed him to peel the freezing fabrics from her bumpy skin, and once she stood naked before him he quickly took the blanket which had been ripped away from her earlier and swung it around her quaking form. She barely had time to clutch it firmly around her self, feeling warmer already, before he bent oddly and easily lifted her off her feet and into his arms.

He turned for the door, walking away with her, and she noted that even his armor felt warm against her, and she curled against his torso as though to seep the heat into herself. For some reason, she felt extremely embarrassed, nearly to the point of vomiting. As he neared the exit, she noted the glare he directed at the woman who was still holding her cheek on the floor.

"Bai, resign yourself to your room until I personally come for you," he ordered. Oh yes, that maid was in deep shit now. Despite herself, Kagome was glad that Sheng was not indifferent to the point that he didn't care...

The air outside her room and further into the o-shiro was warmer, proving how long her doors and windows had been open, and when Sheng turned on his heel towards some unknown destination Kagome saw something scary over his shoulder.

She saw Sesshomaru, who was taking in the events on a visual alone. What was scary though was how not a trace of anger was on his face. In fact, he looked at her in a softer manner, and it made her heart feel like it was ripping in two.

She couldn't look at him anymore, and so buried her face against Sheng's neck as he walked briskly further away from the young lord. She didn't care how she looked with her face there, it was the only way to hide herself from that damn demon. Besides, her head had been soaked too, so having warmth against her brow relieved some of her headache.

Still, she couldn't help but think that she didn't want to see Sesshomaru because she didn't want to see his expression change to a scowl... She preferred to lie to herself, and think that he could actually be worried about her. She was sure that, sometime later, feeling that way would make her sick with herself, but for now it was an unexpected comfort as Sheng carried her away.

* * *

**A/N:** Hm, I loved writing this. It had so many scenes that I barely needed to think about as they wrote themselves... And don't worry, I'll have Kagome and Sesshomaru interact on a non-fighting basis in the next chapter, and it'll be fun.

By the way, if some of you don't fine this last scene very believable, then I invite you to stand on top of a mountain in a blizzard and pour winter pond water over your head and stand there. That's basically what happened to Kagome, and yes, I'm cruel.

Hehe. Also, I could have updated sooner, but my friend decided to visit again. She pulls rank over writing. :D

Please review this chapter and let me know what you think of it! I'll be aiming to update soon!


	7. Unrelenting

**Chapter 7**

**Unrelenting**

Where Sheng had carried Kagome to was the baths. She was absolutely shocked that they really did have tubs, and not the wooden sort either. She couldn't exactly tell what they were made of, but it was a light white color of rock or crystal with yellow veins through it, and it was very smooth to the touch. Sheng had let her down in the steam filled room to make her own way to the bath, turning his back so she could open the blanket and step in without too much embarrassment. The servants had tried to assist her, but she told them she could do it herself, and that took a little bit of proving.

It stung to sink with one arm into the warmth of the water, and she felt her skin pulsating in a rebelling manner until the heat seeped its way into her jittery muscles.

Sheng dismissed the servants, and as they left he asked Kagome if she would answer a personal question.

"Um, yeah," she replied. "Just a second, I want to dunk my head."

Under the water, in moments of being quite still while her skin regained feeling, she could hear her heart racing. A personal question? Those were never really good. She came up calm though, wiping the water from her face in an sideways motion, and she smoothed her hair back over her head as she rubbed her scalp dry. It felt good to bathe, her hair was getting to look permanently greased.

"I'd like to know, Kagome, if you really do love Sesshomaru."

Time froze around his whispered question. That, or reality pulled her out of itself and put her in the spotlight. Now her heart was truly racing, and she felt a deep blush burn itself across her cheeks.

"Um..." she began. She remembered then that Sheng could smell a lie, so she swallowed both her pride and uncertainty and just said what she knew. "Well, I don't know."

She stared at the back of his head, wishing he'd forget her dignity and reveal his expression. He didn't though.

He sighed deeply enough to make his shoulders rise and fall, sounding disappointed and like he didn't know what to do, and looked to be staring at the swirling mists ahead. There was nothing else for Kagome to say though, so she let the silence drag out as she had a personal conniption fit in her mind.

"That is a good thing," he finally stated. She was rather shocked to hear that, of all things, and postulated that she had water in her ears. "If you were certain, then you wouldn't be here, would you?"

She blinked, and looked at her hands where they held one another under the water. She was so swept up that she actually overlooked the throbbing of her collar.

"This is going to embarrass you," he warned, "but everyone here knows you are at least interested in Sesshomaru. It comes off your scent in waves, and is not something anyone can control so do not feel ashamed."

...

Oh, but she felt more than ashamed. Kami, what was he saying?! This was too horrifying to be real!

"You're lying."

Even she was shocked by her saying that, and he finally turned to glance at her. She was too scared to care what part of her he saw, and had worse things on her mind than being seen naked by someone she acknowledged as a friend.

"Consider my honesty merciful. It was a fact you needed to know."

She was absolutely still, and watched as her vision began to shimmer. Blinking made water creep down her cheek, and she rubbed at her eyes. She absolutely hated tears, they always had such horrid timing.

"Another fact you need to know," he continued, no longer looking at her, "is that everyone has the capacity to love, if given the chance."

"You're still lying," she accused, splashing water at her face to try and calm herself. She was slowly losing it though, and her diaphragm began to betray her with hiccups. She **hated** dogs! "He could never- I mean... Argh! I'm NOT in love with that ass hole! I'd NEVER lower myself to accept that!"

"Oh?" Sheng asked. "Why?"

She shifted, sending ripples to caress the sides of the bath. "Because nothing good would come of my efforts or interests. He's... He hates me, alright? And I hate him, so... It's as simple as that."

"You believe he hates you..." Sheng repeated.

She punched the surface of the water angrily, making it splash everywhere. Wiping it off her face she let her temper get the better of her. "Of course he hates me! Want me to list off the facts?!"

"Go ahead," he invited.

"Well, first off, I'm a _human_ **miko**! That's the worse possible combination ever, and he hates both as a cardinal rule of his character! Next, for all that time he was in the future, we never really even talked. He avoided me like the plague more often than not, and when we did spend time together it was to watch me squirm in 'training'. I've gotten so many headaches and bruises from him, now after four years our fond greeting is me with a broken collar bone! _What_ could _possibly_ rub off of that as attraction?!"

Oh, kami, she wanted to smack everyone, including herself.

Sheng smirked, and glanced about for a servant stool. He brought it over, keeping his eyes closed so Kagome could feel better about her nudity, put it next to the tub and sat with his back to it. He could see her face out of his peripheral, and she had a clear side view of his own. He was... smiling... It unnerved her.

"It is always the observer to catch the flaws," he commented wistfully, pulling his long hair over his shoulder to avoid it falling into the bath. Why he didn't tie it all up into a top knot was beyond her... "Have you ever wondered why he hasn't killed you?"

She blinked, opened her mouth, shook her head with an open smile of disbelief, and scoffed. "He's certainly _tried_ to! He just thinks I'm always easier to terminate than I really am, that's all."

"You expect him to make the same mistake twice?" he inquired. "You do realize that he could have killed you in your sleep any time he chose, and that you just walked out of a fight to the death alive, right?"

"Yeah, I do," she almost spat.

"And about your other observations," he continued, "you remember he cared for two human children for months on end, correct?"

She sighed, thinking of Rin and Kohaku. "Yeah, but-"

"And that you commented during your life's story that he kept waking you up and bugging you to do something, even if it was just training." She was quiet, avoiding the connection. "And that while training, he never made you bleed. _Every_ training experience he ever had he left bloody, so he should have done the same to you."

There was a long silence. "You suggest something ridiculous," she finally informed him, memories which she kept completely to herself flooding back. The sensation of him drawing her closer and pressing his lips to hers was a memory only she had. It was how many of her dreams began.

Sheng chuckled once. "Well, not when you're an outsider and looking in. In fact, the clashing of your lives is quite interesting. ... Did you ever consider the possibility that he simply could not return to the future in these last years?"

She shifted, not wanting to encourage this conversation by speaking.

"When his scout returned with news of a powerful miko appearing by some unimportant village a while back, Sesshomaru left immediately. Everyone was intrigued when he came back, lacking a sword and a good mood. I asked him about it, but left the next day to check on the regiment. He's apparently been bitter ever since then, and no one has been able to put any pieces together until you showed up yesterday."

Kagome frowned. She didn't want to hear this, but she couldn't help but feel fascinated by what she heard. "What do you mean, 'until yesterday'?"

He glanced at her, then at the ceiling. "Imagine being clueless as to why the young lord of the castle, who changed four years ago, comes back in such a state, then over a week later a young, beautiful, and very powerful woman appears with his forsaken sword and demands his attentions."

Kagome felt like the only blood remaining in her was in her cheeks, and she was crying all over again. "You all have it wrong," she told him, choking on her words slightly as she chose which wall to glare hopelessly at. "You have no idea..."

"Don't I?" he asked. "Apparently, Kagome, the only two people who don't see it are you and him."

Kagome took a shaky breath. Why? Her whole body was swelling with a sensation of immense hope and desire to see that hope turn into fact. But it was impossible. She had spent four full years telling herself it was, and that wasn't about to change just because someone put things in a different light. She wasn't a fool to chase an idea, or a hope, or some fiscal concept laid in front of her in three minutes. If she were to act or think any differently, she would simply have to see things through herself.

"That's because we know better," she told him, completely miserable.

"Hm," he hummed. "Well, I suppose you are the best judge of yourself." He reached back, and ruffled Kagome's immensely damp hair with his huge hand. "Just mind yourself, alright?"

Kagome nodded, and listened as a low whistle became loud and prominent. Sheng stood and stepped away as a maid rushed back into the room to remove the kettle from the metal stove. Kagome hadn't noticed it being there before, and five more kettles were brimming on the point of boil.

"Here you are, my lady," the minor demoness offered sweetly, scooping some water from the bath with a bucket and pouring the kettle water slowly in, stirring.

"Miss," Sheng began, obviously not knowing the woman's name, "be sure to supply Lady Kagome with appropriate attire."

The maid bowed, and Sheng made to walk away.

"Hey," Kagome called after him, the warm water swirling around her ankles and slowly spreading around, "thanks, Lord Sheng. I'll try to keep myself alive for the fight from now on."

And so, like before, he left without even a nod, and Kagome was able to enjoy herself for the most part. She nearly fell asleep on several occasions, and would have if not for the kettles going off every five minutes. Once the tub was steaming the maid dismissed herself, and returned after about ten minutes with two other women, all of them bearing wooden boxes of various sizes. Said boxes were set aside though, since Kagome apparently took precedence.

"Would you lean forward?" one asked, her sleeves tied back with a cord and hair pulled back. Kagome did, and was shocked that the woman reached forward and began massaging her back.

It hurt so good...

After a few minutes of that, a back support was place above Kagome's buttocks, and it reached just high enough that she could lean back against the padding and pretend she was at the salon. Her long hair was pulled to the other side of the board she was against, and the third woman poured the equivalent of shampoo into the midnight locks and worked it to a froth, wonderful head scratching included as the massaging was continued on Kagome's left arm.

If she had chocolate, this would be paradise. She wondered if Sesshomaru got this treatment whenever he wanted... Lucky bastard.

By the time Kagome's final calf was being worked to a tingling looseness her hair was rinsed for a final time and twisted to a damp dryness before being wrung up and wrapped with a fabric for later treatment. She was asked to stand, and she took the odd towel before the maids could dry her off. Massages were good, but she could rub herself dry just fine.

...

It was very soon decided that no arrogant jerk would ever pass this up, so Kagome, languishing in a reclined position as oils were rubbed into her skin and her hair brushed through and tended almost lovingly, came to the conclusion that Sesshomaru was, indeed, a lucky bastard.

"I can't believe how good you are at this," Kagome told them, glancing around for the third woman. She was preparing a peculiar balm, and by the time Kagome's body simply tingled with relaxation of the best sort the third servant approached with the mixture. She dipped two fingers into the greenish paste, and very gently smeared it across the broken collar bone.

It felt very hot, and Kagome hissed as it encouraged the blood to flow past her injury. With time though, it cooled, and this part began while the oil finished seeping into her skin.

"Are you ready to dress, Lady Kagome?" the youngest servant asked, still cleaning Kagome's nails while the other two tended to other matters.

"Mm, I suppose," Kagome replied, her head feeling funny for the hair style she was given. This was far better than sleeping, she felt like it was a splendid dream. Standing up though, she realized she still hurt from Sesshomaru's experimentation with bone flexibility, and that she was indeed in an o-shiro five hundred years in the past.

She was guided to the next room, which was warmed with several braziers and scented with a certain sweet berry odor wafting from a solitary incense holder. In the room were several wooden racks and full length mirrors, one of which had a bubble to the side of it. Some of the racks were laden with rich and heavy fabrics, all being completely white. Kagome soon realized that they planed to dress her in them.

"Oh," she began, shocked. "No. I couldn't, I'd get them so dirty."

The maids smirked at her. "Dirtiness is not an issue with these fabrics."

Kagome didn't believe them, until one took up some utensils and removed a coal from a brazier to press it nonchalantly to the silk embroidered kimono. Kagome actually winced at the sight of the fabrics burning away, and watched as the maid patted them cool. Within five minutes, during which Kagome was stood on a small padded stool and measured, the fabrics had mended themselves and left not even a stitch out of place.

"That's amazing," she commented, staring in awe. A short and sheer white yukata was brought over, and while feeling guilty about ever wearing something so very expensive Kagome held her left hand back so the fabric could slide more easily up her arms and settle around her shoulders. It was so cold, at first, but quickly warmed to her body heat and settled lightly around her feminine frame. Her right arm had been gently guided through the sleeve, and was being wrapped in a more-fancy-than-need-be sling while the yukata was secured and wrapped into place. Next, she stepped into some pants she didn't know the name of, but it would be a shame to call them hakama. For starters, they were slimmer, and made of the same silk as the yukata, and they went up to within inches of her breasts. The maids tucked the upper garment neatly under the pants before securing them sufficiently over the yukata tie, and then the two remaining kimono were brought forth.

That's right. Two of them. And they were as heavy as they were stunning.

"You're sure my right arm stays here?" she found herself asking when only her left hand was guided through the sleeve, the silk yukata sleeve settling nicely into the larger one of the kimono. Turned out, it was rather nice to have the inner kimono secured with a beautiful obi right under her right arm. She could lean settle it under her breasts, and it would stay there over the obi. Her arm and under fabrics were completely covered by the kimono, and once it settled into place it was quite comfortable. Even the weight of the fabrics didn't bother her collar bone too badly.

Kagome was held in place by her hips as one of the women lifted her foot from the stool to wrap a tabi sock up over her toes, securing the smaller four like a normal sock but isolating the big toe with a stitched slice in the fabric. This was designed so that her feet would slip into the, quite oddly, white zori sandals.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Why white? She wasn't getting married. Was it just her color?? If someone said she was pure and needed to wear white day in and day out, she was going to smack them big time. By the time the second sock was donned, she stepped uncertainly down from the stool and turned to see two maids lifting the final kimono off its rack.

It simply took her breath away. She was going to wear that? It was simply gorgeous. This particular outer kimono, a style long dead in her time, trailed behind its wearer while hugging around the shoulders, open and untied with ignored yet ornate sleeves hanging to the sides.

The who women who finished pulling it over her frame stepped back as the third placed the zori sandals in front of Kagome, and she grew a good inch stepping into them.

She stared down at herself, enamored by the sight of wearing the clothes of royalty. She looked up, smiling until her cheeks hurt, and the three women were smiling warmly in admiration.

"Would you like to see?" the oldest asked delightedly.

Kagome sucked her lips between her teeth, still smiling, and nodded. She just had to see this transformation. She had never dressed like this before, and even on her wedding she would have not looked this nice. So she was left to stand, and the women walked to grab the standing mirrors and set them before her in the half hexagon shape so she could see it all at once.

Her jaw fell in awe, and her free left hand lifted with shock to cover her gapped mouth. She didn't want to sound egotistical, but she had to admit to herself how shockingly different and stunning she looked. He hadn't even noticed before that her hair was made so ornately, most of her ebony locks glimmering over her shoulders as the rest were twisted and looped ornately around matching ivory combs.

She smiled at the women once they set aside the mirrors, and seriously had tears in her eyes. She didn't know why, but she did. She swore, she would never cry again, because she should have dried up like a well in the desert after these last two weeks.

"Dear kami, who are you?"

She giggled, shifting when Sheng happened across her room. He had actually startled upon seeing her.

She was drinking tea to calm herself, and hadn't walked around too much. She really had nowhere to go, nowhere to be, and was actually embarrassed to be seen like this. She didn't want to be stared at and have it confirmed how well she now looked. She even wore a touch of pigment on her face, skin sparingly powdered over to a pale glow and lips painted a vivid red. She tried to make them stop with her eyes, since their being blue was glaringly obvious of them as it was, but the maids ended up rubbing just bare smudges of charcoal over her lids and black lines which followed the density of her eyelashes. The better she looked, the better of a job they did, and at this rate she would promote them.

"No need to exaggerate, Lord Sheng," she commented, unable to suppress her smile. "What have you been up to?"

He was _still_ looking her over, and she turned her head to the side. He gathered himself though, and crossed his arms. "Simply punishing a bad servant is all. Nothing too exciting."

Oh right... That had happened... Kagome glanced at the weather worthy doors and saw them tinted pink. The sun was only now rising.

"Why are you staying in here?" he finally asked her.

"Well, I don't really have anywhere else to be," she replied honestly. She glimpsed her weapons, propped against her backpack in the corner, and remembered yet again that she couldn't train in this attire.

"It would be a shame for you to remain here," Sheng told her. She gave him half a shrug. "Hm. Would you accompany me then for the day?"

She looked at him from the corners of her eyes, and since she was sitting and he was standing, from under her thick lashes, a sarcastic smirk gracing her face. "Lord Sheng, am I becoming _interesting_ to you?"

He smiled. "It certainly will not hurt my reputation to be seen with such a maiden."

She giggled at him. Men were men. She agreed to be with him, since his life simply had to be more interesting than hers, but tucked a small English book between her inner kimono and yukata so it rested on her arm in case he had a meeting. They say if you don't use a language, you lose it, and she definitely was not going to give up that useless advantage she had here in the past.

As soon as she reined in her energy to be nearly undetectable, she stepped out the door, and two passing guards stopped. If not for the powder, they'd see the horribly blush igniting her face. They stepped aside, which guaranteed her and her open kimono enough room to pass freely, and walking onwards she dared a glance back at them. The soldiers quickly averted their eyes and continued on her way, and she returned her attentions forward and giggled softly. Sheng chuckled at her enjoyment, and they continued on their way.

Kagome, stopping short of a door, watched as Sheng opened it.

"Just in time," a man commented from inside, grabbing the old demon's focus. "As soon as sake arrives, look who shows up."

Sheng chuckled, and stepped back. "Care for a drink?" he invited Kagome. He just had to give her the grand entrance, didn't he?

Taking a breath, she stepped forward five feet and turned into the room which was occupied by three demons.

Sheng walked in behind her, and made introductions.

"Lady Kagome," he began, gesturing first to the unfamiliar man. "This is Lord Tao, member of the council and specialist in finances."

Lord Tao, despite his girth, bowed respectfully at the waist where he sat in greeting. Kagome managed to bow at the waist, her one hand over her left thigh formally.

The two remaining women were ones who Kagome had already seen. Yesterday before the battle, accompanying Sesshomaru.

"This is Lady Shu Fang, a fellow member of the council," Sheng continued, the older demoness bowing her head, "and Lady Li Hua, Lady of the o-shiro and mother of the Lord Sesshomaru."

Li Hua blinked at Kagome when her apparently informal name was mentioned, and a sinister smirk which so reminded Kagome of Sesshomaru quirked her lips. "Will you be joining us for tea and sake, young miko?"

Kagome was annoyed by how unwilling she was to be sarcastic. Young miko? That was rather rude when Sheng already said her name. Ugh, maybe it was the hairdo, or makeup, or the clothes which made her feel sickeningly polite. She felt like she suddenly had an image to uphold. Still, being witty was always an admirable trait, right?

"You know, I must say," Tao suddenly stated before Kagome could make a reply, "I was stuck with a nickname that just-"

"Oh, Tao," Shu Fang scoffed. "You and your nicknames... If that were a counselor position, you would be the first and only candidate."

There was a round of chuckles as Kagome took a the available seat at the end furthest from the door and next to the only person she was familiar with there. Sheng, sitting next to Tao to face Sesshomaru's mother, poured himself a drink and passed the tea tray to Kagome so she could serve herself.

"Seriously though," Tao began anew, taking the sake container from Sheng to refill his own cup, "it suddenly hit me, right at first glance, and it will not cease in pestering me."

"Do you require we inquire?" Li Hua asked skeptically.

"Certainly," Sheng filled in, "unless you prefer being egged on until nightfall."

They all chuckled again, even Tao being amused.

"I believe Lixue is fitting," he finally stated, looking at Kagome. She felt very on the stop when the others turned to face her, weighing something.

"It seems suiting," Sheng replied. "Do you speak Chinese, Lady Kagome?"

"No," she replied, unsure of what everyone was talking about. "Well, some. I do speak English though."

"English?" Shu Fang asked. "My, my, what a rare language, and here on this island. What purpose do you have for that?"

Oh, crap... "It is a great interest of mine," she informed them, which wasn't a lie. "I can see a future of it being a world renown tongue, if history continues to lay this course."

The men nodded in thought, whereas the young woman looked skeptical. "You have a funny accent, young miko."

Kagome smiled kindly. "In turn, yours sounds rather ridiculous in my ears as well."

She had supporting smirks.

"That makes sense," Li Hua replied.

Kagome nodded her head once. "Why inquire my knowledge of Chinese, Lord Sheng?"

"Mm," he intoned, in the middle of a drink. "Simply to know whether or not you understand Lord Tao's informal name for you. It means 'pretty snow'."

... She already had a name though...

"I like the name Lixue," Shu Fang commented. "Some **do **have terribly hard times adjusting to a second title..."

The three other demons laughed at that.

"Speaking of, Chao-san should be here soon," Tao commented lightheartedly.

Sheng, by all appearances, became a tad uncomfortable. "I was not aware of that."

"Did you forget which meeting this is?" Shu Fang asked mildly.

"We certainly have plenty to lose track over," Sheng commented.

"Mm, and being tipsy for each one certainly does not help," Tao jested. He got punched in the arm, in a friendly guy manner which women would never understand. Kagome certainly didn't. If Sheng hit her like that he'd throw her socket out of place.

"Do not fret, Sheng," Li Hua assured. "It is good for him."

Which brought about the question of who was Chao-san? Kagome barely asked as much before she sensed with suppressed powers someone right at the door, and it opened.

She glanced up, blue eyes somewhat wide with curiosity, to see impassive golden orbs look back at her.

Kagome felt her breath leave her immediately, and barely registered how the other demons shared glances. She recalled how much her collar bone was hurting her though, and glared at the demon lord.

He glared back.

"I see you finally decided to arrive, Chao-san," Tao commented, gesturing to the other end of the table so he'd sit opposite from Kagome. Sesshomaru didn't acknowledge anyone else though, and after another second he merely turned and left.

"Kagome?" Sheng asked when she shot to her feet and stormed after Sesshomaru.

"Should we stop her?" one of the women asked.

"_I_ vote that we watch," Sheng replied giddily before Kagome left the room.

Fine. Let them watch. So long as they didn't interfere.

"Hey! Sesshy!" Kagome yelled at the demon, not able to keep up as well with all those fabrics on. "Hey!" He refused to look at her, so she hiked up her inner kimono, loosened her right zori from around her toes and kicked it from her foot at him.

He turned halfway and caught it with his left hand, which brought them to meeting one another's gaze again.

She effortlessly kicked the other sandal aside so she could walk properly, and closed the gap between them. Once she was five feet away, she stopped and met his icy glare with her own boiled over temper.

"Nice to see you again," she stated sarcastically, suppressing so many memories which tried to flood in and quell her anger. She missed him, but she was _not_ going to admit that.

He blinked at her. "The feeling is not mutual, miko."

She sighed. She _really_ wanted to beat him up, but it seemed a tad pointless when he was clueless as to her reasoning. "You have _no_ right to be mad at me."

She could practically feel four sets of eyes glance out of the room and into the hall to watch them. That, and Sesshomaru nearly snarled at them all.

His attention was Kagome's though, so she spared some energy to slam that room door shut on the demon's noses should they be too slow to move back. None were.

"It's been four years since you locked me into my time, and the best you can do is first storm off, then break my bone?" she demanded, watching as his eyes shifted quickly to glance just below her shoulder. "That's not very polite of you."

"Politeness is not spent on worthless humans."

She felt her aura flare around her like a bomb went off in her soul. "How **dare** you call me worthless! You know nothing about me, and you never will!" His frown deepened at the last part, and Kagome decided to verbally dance around him until she got some answers.

"Never is a short time for a mortal," Sesshomaru countered icily before she could continue. Damn both him _and_ his impeccable ability to verbally dance more quickly! "Remember that."

"I already know, you dumb ass," she told him. "That's why humans have to make every day count."

Sesshomaru looked positively pissed off. "I will remember that to make a day count one must freely associate with the opposite sex in a more than friendly manner."

"I was simply carrying her," came Sheng's voice through the paper door as he defended himself. Both Kagome and Sesshomaru yelled at him to be quiet.

She glowered at the demon lord once more. "Well, then I must say _you_ have certainly made a few days count for _both_ of us!"

The door hissed open again, and she could swear Sheng needed a visual to verify that that fact she just let slip was actually true.

Sesshomaru scowled. Oh yes, he definitely remembered that.

"And I don't care what you think of me, because Inuyasha is just a friend who I haven't seen in four years."

"I see friendship goes a long way," Sesshomaru commented.

"Well, _guess_ what!?" Kagome continued, actually nervous at saying this next bit but too infuriated to care. "I _also _don't care what you think because you and I aren't even friends, and I'm sure you'd agree with that. You have _no_ right to be mad over how I choose to live **my **life and what I do with it. Maybe you would if you were actually a part of it, but you're not, so until then, fuck off."

She barely saw it, but his lips pursed ever so slightly before he glanced away from her. She had the feeling that saying 'until then' was an invitation in this case, and that he was considering it. Her heart went fluttering away at that thought, but she quickly caught it.

Sesshomaru turned and left once again after she said that. Kagome, deep down, wanted to run after him once more, but she remained planted in the floor. She had more dignity than that.

Once he rounded the corner, she turned around, and realized he had just stolen her shoe...

Grabbing the lone sandal, she dismissed herself from Sheng and gang and walked in the opposite direction of Sesshomaru for her room. She got lost a few times, but that was apparently long enough for the maids to swap out her mattress with a dry one. She shut the door, ate a few bites of fruit and a stick of meat, and retired to her bed to catch up on what she lost that morning.

It was midday when she awoke, and she lay there contemplating life in her layers of clothing. She ended up reading a fifth of her book while ignoring the servants as they monitored the braziers in her room, and the hours of translating put her back to sleep in the later afternoon.

She would not have lost her place so drastically if the book had remained in her hand.

She winced in sitting up, bones shifting from a comfortable position, and groaned over how numb her left arm was from sleeping on it. The sun had finally fallen, and she definitely felt like the laziest person in the world with her outer kimono covering herself in a wing of white and draping off the far end of the bed. It really was long...

She looked down the side of the bed to try and find her book, thinking she had shifted and it fell, but since it wasn't there and the bed had no exposed underside she scooted back to see if she had rolled over it. When she still failed in finding the damn thing she began to wonder if it got caught somewhere in her layers of clothing. She was saved from the dread of having to search herself when she lifted her head.

A horrid flinch instantly jerked her awake when she saw Sesshomaru sitting nonchalantly at the table in her room, looking over her book.

"English has several useless words," he commented, practically to himself, making a note on a sheet of parchment as his eyes skimmed another line.

She blinked several times at him. "Wha-? What the hell are you doing here??"

He glanced up at her over the book. "You do realize that this is my home, correct?"

... She hadn't thought of it that way... "So what? Even if I'm temporarily entitled to this room, it's still suppose to be my place of privacy, for kami's sake! I offered the same to you four years ago!"

She entertained herself with the thought that his ignoring her represented his inability to make a reply, and that his inability to make a reply represented her having a point. She'd feel good about having said point if his ignoring her wasn't so completely perfect...

Kagome sighed, vexed and still angry with him, and shrugged from under the outer kimono so she could actually walk around. She walked straight up to Sesshomaru and made to grab the book away.

He easily held it aloft.

"You son of a bitch, give that back!" she yelled, wishing she had two arms so she could plant one on the table to reach further.

He merely continued reading, or at least pretending to read, while the book was held in the air over his right shoulder. Kagome noted then that he was right handed with the sword, but preferred his left hand to write. Damn odd man... Then again, for all she knew he always was left handed and just learned to wield his sword with his right out of necessity, since Inuyasha spared him his left arm for quite some time. ... Maybe he was just old enough to be ambidextrous? Yes, that seemed like a useless enough talent for any demon to pick up after seven hundred years...

"That's not yours, Sesshomaru," she informed him like she was scolding a puppy. "Give it back to me."

"No."

Wow. It speaks. "What do you mean, 'no'!? It's mine, and I demand it back!"

"Then pack your things and leave," he retorted almost absentmindedly.

Kagome gave a huff of exasperation, then decided to speak in English for a while. "What a fucking, intolerable, piece of shit for a man _you_ are! Ungrateful, deaf bastard, I hope you fall over dead!"

He blinked at her, and feeling quite good about herself she walked over to her backpack, grabbed a small bag of fruit, walked back over and had a seat. It was rather difficult to do everything with one hand, but using her teeth she managed to undo the plastic press-in zipper of the bag and upend it onto the table in front of her.

"Quit staring," she snapped at him, pouring some tea, "I only use my teeth when an arm is out of commission, thank you."

"That was rather rude of you to say earlier," he informed her.

Her heart missed a beat. Did he completely overlook her reference to his breaking her collar, or did he just not care? Furthermore, what? "What do you mean?"

"This Sesshomaru does not enjoy being ignorant," he commented. "I have traveled in the past four years, and have a fairly good grasp of English as it is spoken."

She was instantly angry with him again. "What the hell?! You couldn't have understood all of that!"

"No?" he asked, making another note on the parchment. Apparently, he was teaching himself how to write in English, too.

This was so utterly unfair. "I was the only person in your entire life to _ever_ speak to you in English, and so you go and learn it!?"

"Yes."

She was baffled, and flustered. "You... You are so immature!!"

He regarded her with a frown.

She laughed at him. "I can't believe this. You don't want even one person, one 'worthless' person, to have an edge on you?!"

"A language is a powerful thing," he told her. "And power is something one seeks."

"Power also corrupts those who seek it," Kagome shared with him bitterly. "Or did losing an arm not teach you that?"

"Silence yourself!" he actually yelled, making her lean back.

Kagome was shocked. She had never seen him actually angry like that, and it was scary... Not that she was scared, since it was a very brief exposure of anything other than his stoic self. To prove she wasn't indeed petrified, she stomped her foot at him. "I. Don't. _Have_. To!"

He glared at her, and the more angry he was the more audacious she became. Ah yes, the beauty of natural selection...

"Now _give_ me _back_ my **book**!"

Something hard struck her face and sent her tumbling for the ground. She instantly lifted herself onto her rump, and by that time she felt how much her cheek suddenly hurt.

"Did you just _slap_ me?!" she demanded, seeing him standing where she once did.

"No," he replied, tossing the book into her lap. "_It _did."

She glared at him, then retracted with a jolt so her back hit the wall when he knelt merely a foot in front of her.

"I do not expect you to recall this, miko," he informed her, his eyes glowing with the flicker of nearby flames and looking alive. "Four years ago, at an amusement park, you informed me that you deserved respect because I was not in my own time."

She remembered that. That one long lecture she gave him. It was fragmented and she couldn't recall the words, but she did recollect the tone of that conversation, and the way he seemed to truly listen to her and acknowledge her. She remembered how he surrendered his undivided attention, and how much she was thankful for that.

"Now you need to understand this," he continued icily, her eyes locked onto his. This wasn't the same man she knew four years ago. This was the man she had known before he became trapped in her time. The aristocratic assassin who tried to kill Inuyasha and herself. An icy ball formed just behind her vocal cords, and for it her breaths were hard and shallow. "You are the one currently displaced in another time. You live in my home, for now, so you will live by the rules; both the spoken and unspoken."

Kagome gasped when his hand suddenly grasped under her jaw bone, and her energy flared out to attack him. He unlocked his own power, and suppressed hers as he lifted her up the wall to the point that he was standing and she was dangling.

"I am the Lord of this terrain," he seethed as she struggled, her face getting hot and her vision shifting. "Your very existence is meaningless here. You are _nothing_ unless I say otherwise, and the only reason you still live is due to a complicated law based off of moral. You mentioned how you were not an object in your time, how you had feelings and could care and trust in another. In this time, those are not needed from you. So an object you are."

He released her, and she fell with a gasp to the floor. Sparks flew across her sights, and she held her throat with a newfound sensation of fear while her vision slowly cleared to reveal his black boots.

"Get use to being what you are," he ordered, taking the first steps to leaving.

Her throat felt as crushed as her spirits, and her lungs burned with every haul of air; but she managed to speak, even if only out of spite. "I hate you..."

She listened to his light steps cease, and sat back against the wall to stare at her bed. Damn. Damn everything to hell. Why, of all times, did she have tears in her eyes _now_?!

"I can live with that."

"I doubt it," she bit back, refusing to look at him. She saw him glance at her out of her peripheral though.

"And why is that?" he inquired, sounding less than humored.

She gave a solitary dry chuckle, a memory crashing to the fore of her mind. "Because, I'm the one who makes you laugh..."

"Mirth is no longer needed," he informed her.

She looked up at him, seeing a humored smile and a laughing man who knew how to live like he had a soul. This wasn't him, and his changeless features blurred because of the water in her eyes. She wasn't crying though, her face was perfectly neutral. At least she had that going for her. "I know it's not... Not by a lord."

He looked away from her and back forward.

"I'm sorry that you had to die, Sesshomaru."

He didn't move. Not for a minute anyway. His thinking was short lived, and he did the most regal thing he could by leaving without another word.

It was a very long and miserable night to follow. Kagome felt like she remained motionless for over an hour, thinking on too many things at once. She recalled her time with him, both in the recent and long forsaken past, and Sheng's seemingly random comments.

"Sometimes," she said aloud to herself, hugging her knees. These people didn't have pillows, which was odd for her. "Things are just meant to be..." She hiccuped. "Yeah, to be hell??" As memories of Sango's conversation with her, of Sheng's from that morning, and from the last four years battled for dominance in her mind, Kagome eventually settled onto her back and allowed those thoughts to coax her into the uncaring night.

It was amazing how, despite what had just happened, the first thing to greet her in her dream was a strong embrace and silky hair across her cheek as soft kisses assailed her neck. Just like she remembered.

* * *

**A/N:** ... Huh... A lot and yet not much happened in this...

Alright! Their first conversation in years! Probably not what they expected it to be, but at least they're on talking terms again. Sort of... ... Maybe?? Anyway, the next chapter is going to yank you off the edge of that seat, so there's your warning. Just a much needed dose of unpredictability. :D

Reviews please! Thanks for reading!


	8. Strengthening the Seal

**A/N:** Hm, well, the plot is finally making another turn which I have been planning for quite some time now, so I hope you enjoy it! :D

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Strengthening the Seal**

"Forget it."

"That would be rather difficult to do..." Sheng admitted, sounding a tad dejected by her prompt denial.

"I don't care," Kagome stated bitterly, trying to enjoy her third day of being there by eating some nice steaming food. Dried food got old quick. She got to thinking that maybe the old yōkai knew that she only ate the food served to her if he was there, because he showed up quite often to watch the wonders of a woman shoveling her face. If he could stomach it, she'd bear with it, and that was that. "You already said you don't need to do it until later, so why bother now?"

Sheng gave a vexed sigh, and she could only imagine how much alcohol was on that breath. Probably enough to kill a fly. How that man could stomach the stuff even during breakfast was beyond her, and she certainly wasn't trying to grasp it.

"You put me in a predicament, Kagome," he admitted as she took another bite of mild yet filling rice. "I either need your willingness or your unwillingness, and I prefer the prior."

She scoffed, still in a foul mood from less than two days ago. At that time, it had been a quarter moon and waning. "Fine, then chain me up and drag me off somewhere, but I'm _not_ helping that ass with anything if I have a choice."

Sheng nodded a few times in consideration. "I suppose giving a narrower range of choices is an option..."

Kagome put down her chopsticks, which were almost agonizing to use with her left hand. She was not very hungry anyway thanks to her tendency to lose any appetite after arguments, and of those she's had plenty.

"So, I suppose that means I really don't have a choice, and you're just being nice about it."

"Pretty much," he confirmed. She didn't know why Sheng was suddenly and miraculously able to see her any time he so chose, but it was beginning to be annoying with the news he brought. "It only takes a day-"

"Which you also said about the 'yōkai passage into power' bit," she interrupted, lifting her tea cup to her lips.

"-and then it's... Well, yes, but this is entirely different."

"How so?" she asked. Really, did she have to do it?

"Well, because you do not need to worry about a thing," he stated. "All there is to do is walk in, watch a seal be strengthened, and walk out. You don't even need to say a word to him."

By 'him', he meant Sesshomaru, and apparently this strengthening process was for some random yōkai locked away in the bowels of Mount Fuji. The reason why she had to go there with him was currently lodged in her chest.

"Can't I just rip the Jewel out and hand it over?" she asked, sick and tired now of pretty much anything she could think of. Especially dogs. She had wanted to return to her friends yesterday, but was informed that she was to be kept at the o-shiro for 'safe keeping'. Sesshomaru itemized her enough as it was, now even the servants saw her as some thing to take care of while she was harbored there.

"That would be a tad deadly," Sheng commented. "It won't be that bad. Just a day, and you're free to wait the rest of the time here for your duel to the death to resume."

She glared at him to let him know that he wasn't being funny, and he took the hint. Scrubbing the now all too familiar facial expression away with a hand, Kagome gave a loud groan of resignation into her palm.

"Is that an 'I'll be perfectly happy to go along with things' groan?" Sheng asked her.

"No. It's a 'do I have to be conscious for it' groan."

He chuckled, and sent her hair into further turmoil by ruffling the top of her head. If yōkai invented hair conditioner any time soon she'd be delighted. "Yes. You do."

She eventually agreed to go along with this procedure, on the terms that she didn't have to be happy about it, then said procedure was delayed for a few more days when Sesshomaru got word that she would have to accompany him. It made her laugh, really. Deep down that is. The all mighty and powerful lord of the lands, being too stubborn and hesitant to tolerate her presence for even a day and scrounging for a reason to hesitate, was about the funniest thing she had heard in ages.

She mostly kept to herself in those few days, finishing her book as her bones slowly mended and eventually becoming so bored as to resign herself to Sheng's side for hours on end. He warned her of the rumors that would spread from doing such, and she quite frankly didn't care. Sure enough though, within two days everyone officially thought that there was an odd interest between the two of them, and it made her laugh and wonder how a certain yōkai tolerated it.

She was thinking as much during an informal meeting with the two yōkaiess and yōkai from quite a few days ago.

"No," Tao disagreed. "'Chao-san' is better, by far."

"I do not fully agree," Li Hua, Sesshomaru's mother, replied. "I think that 'Sesshy' is a marvelous nickname."

Kagome was happy that she could even put relatives against Sesshomaru in at least one thing. That was only topped off by the nature of this conversation in the first place, which happened to be entitlement to nicknaming. So far, Kagome had majority votes. Including hers, it was four to one in a group of five. She only voted for herself because of the name Lixue, which didn't suit her at all.

Tao didn't enjoy the game. "You all have no taste."

Shu Fang giggled at the man. "Now now, this is all for fun."

Kagome had a smile on her face, but she could feel the ghost of sadness tugging at her features. Apparently, none of the names she knew them by were real. Sheng's real name had over eight different names and quite a few words of entitlement to it, and since she didn't speak Mandarin she was completely clueless as to what it was no matter how many times he said it or wrote it down. The word 'Sheng' was the last bit of his third middle name and meant 'victory', so someone thought it would be good. Kagome felt amused by the fact that Sheng resented the nickname until a hundred years after it was assigned to him, and now it was the only one he used.

Tao scoffed. "Oh, yes, fun until something is made permanent."

"Lighten up," said Sheng before taking another drink. "How did we even start talking about this?"

"I called him 'Sesshy'," Kagome supplied, in reference to Sesshomaru.

"Ah. Yes. ... I like that nickname, too."

Thusly, the conversation looped on itself and Kagome was left smirking at the yōkai who didn't know how to waste their time properly. These people needed colorful board games...

A few days passed far more quickly than Kagome had anticipated, and she was just checking her bowstrings with Jia, the actual bow resting unstrung in the corner, when a servant arrived to be her escort. It was midday, which had given her ample time to enjoy a morning bath. The maids were rather scornful of the idea that she wear the haori and hakama which Kaede had given her, saying she was far prettier in the kimono. Kagome wanted to be able to move though in case Sesshomaru tried anything funny again, and next time she wasn't going to be so shocked that he was attacking her. If he ever pulled that dominant male crap on her again she was slicing off his family jewels to knock down his status by a few pegs.

"This is it?" she asked when the servant led her to the small group in the courtyard. There was Sesshomaru, Sheng, and herself.

"Were you expecting a royal procession?" Sheng asked with a smirk.

"Yes, actually," Kagome replied. "With flags and drums and soldiers galore."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes almost discreetly while Sheng laughed at her.

"Perhaps if one just conquered a city," he replied. "Otherwise, it is a waste."

True... "So, when do we leave?"

They left promptly. Considering how bad it was for one's health to travel with Sesshomaru, Kagome found herself accepting Sheng's hand for whatever form of transportation they chose. Surprisingly enough, it was on aura clouds.

"You know what?"

"Tell me," Sheng replied, sitting cross legged and completely at ease while being well over a mile in the air.

"I think I prefer the instant traveling thing," Kagome stated, nervously clasping the yōkai arm with her one hand in fear that she'd fall straight through the cloud with the slightest shift of weight.

"Minus the sickness?"

"No, it can stay and still be better," she replied, wondering if the blood circulation to his hand was still fine. They were really high up, it was like looking out an airplane window... Minus the safe airplane.

As they rose even higher Kagome was beginning to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, but Sheng said she should feel better by the time they reached the mountain top. The entrance was high up just to guarantee that no lizards could scale the mountain and free the prisoner, whoever it was. The poor guy, Kagome would die if she was left in a mountain.

"Can't they just find another way in?" Kagome asked as they floated for the less than obvious gapping mouth of the cave. The snow was apparently too deep to survive in, which really said something. She asked if he meant that it was too deep to walk through, but he supplied her with a vivid image of trying to step on the surface and falling through the powder for a good ten feet. It had been an odd winter for them, not that yōkai particularly noticed as much. There was a lot more snow in the past than there was in the future...

"Perhaps," Sheng acknowledged. "But we have checked every possible rout from the cavern he's in. It is either impossible or too long a distance for them to cross."

Kagome shivered, and not just for the cold air which breathed on her from the mountain's depths as they drew near. She hated caves, far more so than she hated Sesshomaru. They were good for nothing in her opinion. They were cold, and dark, and deep, and could collapse on top of you without warning. The worse feature though was the thought of getting lost, or in this case left behind, and not being able to find her way back. She had confidence in Sesshomaru's senses to get _himself_ out, at the very least, and she hoped that Sheng could find her if the bastard left her behind to rot in the pitch black.

Speaking of, how far was he going to go with them? "You're not going with me the entire way, are you?"

"No," he admitted. "There is a barrier up ahead designed to admit only two."

That was an eerie thought, which was made no better by how the darkness slowly began to consume them. She looked back to see the light of day, and was awed by the impossible cape of ice dragging over the cave's mouth. It glowed a watery blue, and then disappeared behind the bend. The very soft howl of her yōkai companions' churning energy clouds wafted throughout the cave entrance, echoing off of boulders and jutting rocks. They were not deep enough to find stalactites and stalagmites yet, not at these temperatures. The coned rock formations which were commonly related to caves were something she more than definitely expected upon entering, so it was different to see in their place impressive daggers of ice reaching down and slanting with the eternal exhale of the cave, making it look like the fangs of some deep sea fish. The drippings formed small bubble mounds of ice on the ground, which she could only see when they were deeper inside and the snow recessed. Although it was still cold, it was not cold enough to support there being snow, and by the time the once melted streams of ice gave way completely to the rocky floor of the cave they landed and continued on foot.

"No need to be afraid," Sheng told her as they walked, grit and stones grinding underfoot. Her vision was slowly beginning to fail, but that didn't stop her from noticing several odd holes up ahead in the ground. "So long as I am here, you have my guarantee that you will not fall."

"Fall?" she asked, not able to suppress the fear in her voice.

He didn't answer, which was probably the worse answer he could give... As they approached one of the holes that invaded their path, she saw that it was very wide, big enough to fit three African elephants abreast at the top. How many it could contain in total though was a tad frightening, because she couldn't see the bottom.

"How deep is this?" she asked, kicking a fist sized rock into it.

"Deep enough that you would pass out from fear before hitting the bottom," Sesshomaru supplied helpfully. She wanted to be annoyed with him trying to scare her, but as the lack of a clatter from the stone grew in seconds she was beginning to take him sincerely.

"Sheng, how is that even possible?" she asked, still listening for the rock.

"Ancient volcanic activity" Sheng informed her. "It could all collapse and change with the next earth quake, but for now we are walking over a giant air pocket."

... Giant... Air... Pocket...? Like, an ant on a bubble the size of a beach ball?? She grabbed his arm again.

"Stop laughing at me," she pouted, no longer able to see Sesshomaru walking ahead, despite his white clothes. "I can't fly like you guys. If I fall, it's over for me. That's a very real fear of mine, and if you don't think so then I suggest tying a boulder to your ankles and dropping into an ocean trench to see how fun that is."

"Alright, alright," Sheng replied, ruffling her hair just to annoy her. "Forgive us ignorant yōkai. It is hard to see things like humans do. Is that not correct, Chao-san?"

"That is not my name," Sesshomaru replied. He was closer than she thought, maybe just eight feet ahead of them. Dear kami, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face, and here these yōkai are walking just find around pitfalls and who knows what like it's a park path.

A few minutes later, once she grew tired of holding the yōkai arm and walked between him and Sesshomaru, Kagome gave a horrible flinch when Sheng grabbed her around the waist.

"Yes?" she asked, completely blind and suffering from a mild heart attack. Damn yōkai and their damn ability to see in the dark.

"You were doing fine," he tried to compliment her. "The bridge makes a turn now though, so do not fall off."

"... Bridge?" she asked, feeling her heart plunge into unknown depths.

"Yes," he replied, turning her to face the correct direction. "We have been on it for quite some time now."

"... How wide is it?" she asked, trying to hear Sesshomaru's steps over her pounding heart. She had been following him for a while and was used to going straight after thirty seconds.

"Give or take five feet," he supplied, letting her go and making her almost die from fear. "Just keep walking and you will be fine."

His voice echoed in that place, and she simply quaked on her feet. Oh, kami, she didn't want to do this. It wasn't fair! She wanted to see.

"What are you doing?" he asked when she took some steady breaths and held her hands in front of her.

"Making light," she informed him, concentrating. It was rather easy now to produce an energy diamond the size of her fist, if not larger, but no matter how much she tried she could never split it. There was a glow, and Kagome took in many details. They were in a large cavern, judging by the lack of walls and a ceiling, the walkway was only _two_ feet wide at this point, and the barest hints of Sesshomaru's clothing glowed light blue beneath his incandescent yellow eyes as he watched her.

Kagome gave a scream and lost her light source when her shoulders were grabbed and she looked back to darkness, knowing Sheng's face was there.

"Why did you do that?" he asked in a scolding manner as she listened to Sesshomaru walk onward, her scream still echoing down countless corridors and back again.

"For light?" she tried, wishing she could see his face. He gave a worn sigh and egged her to walk onwards, which was simply terrifying since the walkway was _not_ five feet wide. Lying bastard... Even if it _was_ to help her with her fear, he still lied...

"You do not know what that was, do you?" he asked, referring to her little diamond crystal.

"My energy," she answered him. That's what it always was. Sesshomaru told her that, and had trained her on how to handle it so long ago.

She could hear the rustle of Sheng's hair when he shook his head. "That was not a mere form of energy. That was the solidified form of your soul."

She was utterly dumbfounded and lost complete control of her jaw muscles. She didn't even think about the possibility of careening down a bottomless pit of darkness. "... My what?"

"Your soul," he repeated for her. "If you exposed that in front of an enemy, they could do unfathomable things to you. Do not summon it _ever_ again, even if it quickens your training."

She nodded hesitantly, walking forward blindly. Her soul? That was... Impossible, right? Why her soul? ... Why was it like _ice_?! So, was Sesshomaru's like a flame? Was that actually his, or was he just using energy?? Oh, she **hated** dogs!!

A few minutes after the bridge had ended they rounded a rather sharp bend and down deeper into the mountain, and Kagome was shocked that her vision was slowly returning. She was now able to see the stalactites and stalagmites she had expected to see so long ago, and as she looked at the ceiling she tripped over the floor. Catching herself jostled her collar bone painfully, but she grinned in an agonized manner and bore with it.

"The barrier?" she asked, having yet to see the source of light. Yes, it _was_ one, rippling with a red energy so fierce that every vein of it had a white center. Kagome always thought that barriers looked like soapy bubbles, with the swirls which warped around the outside in unpredictable patterns. Still, washing everything out in red was eerie.

Sheng stopped a good distance from it, and although Kagome wanted to beat Sesshomaru's now visible ass for not telling her what she had been meddling with for the last four years, she wanted more to not continue without the friendly old yōkai.

"Sheng," she nearly whimpered. Kagome was impartial to the idea of going into the dark scary cave with an evil yōkai for company. Couldn't Sesshomaru be the one to wait outside??

"Go ahead," he reassured, smirking as though he found her uncertainty highly amusing. "I'll be here when you are done."

"But I-" Her left upper arm was suddenly clasped, and she stumbled to walk backwards. "Ah! **Hey!"**

"Do not waste my time with your hesitation," Sesshomaru scolded her as she was dragged through the barrier and the cold suddenly intensified. Kagome jerked her head up just before being hauled around a corner, and Sheng was waving goodbye with that same smirk on his face.

Much bitching and yelling was involved after that, especially since Kagome wasn't able to loosen herself from Sesshomaru's iron grasp no matter how much of her energy she burned through. He eventually allowed her to walk forward, so now she could trip over her toes rather than her heels in the pitch black darkness they blundered into once more. Apparently the barrier was huge, because even after what felt to be seven minutes of solid bantering back and forth she still couldn't sense the other side of the barrier. By all means, this was what needed strengthening, but she had a feeling she was missing some facts. That, or there were some pretty decent barriers which operated on seals...

"-and I still don't see _why_ you're an ass again!" she continued, being the special speaker for the last two hours. "I mean, four years is **nothing** for yōkai, and here I am talking to you as though you're the same nincompoop who was hell-bent on Tetsusaiga! I mean, did none of that exist for you? ... Do you have selective memory _and_ selective hearing??"

He guided her to bash her knee over a stalagmite, which were becoming more frequent and bigger the deeper they got. For being so narrow at the tops, she'd be hard pressed to take the two inch tip off any cone there with a hammer let alone her knee.

"AAAAAAGH!! You JERK!!" she cried, hopping on one leg for a moment while he continued at the same pace. The jumping did nothing for her pace or her clavicle though, so she gritted her teeth and walked on the leg. There was definitely going to be a bruise from that, she just knew it. Perhaps even swelling.

She was surprised when she walked too far forward, and was almost swept off her feet when she tried to take a step but couldn't.

"What?" she asked, guessing where his eyes could be in the darkness. He had stopped. "... Do you see something?"

He was silent for a minute, as though pondering a puzzle, then continued at his fast pace. "No. I was not expecting a magnesium vein."

"... A what?" she asked. She waited a minute for an answer, and decided to let it go when they stopped again. Well, she stopped. It was her turn to do so, after all. Something felt very bad up ahead.

"... Yes?" he probed, seeking why she refused to move forward.

"What's up there?" she inquired, blinking at the darkness and nodding with her head.

"The sealed yōkai," he supplied, giving her arm a slight tug. "It will not harm you. Just do as I say."

Her blood flowed at an unnaturally fast pace as adrenaline poured into her system. There was something up there. Something bad, and it called to the Shikon no Tama in her body. It didn't feel like a yōkai though. It felt like her sixth sense was waving red flags, and as they drew closer those flags, staffs and all, began smacking her urgently in the face. But... If Sesshomaru was fine with this, and with more keen senses no less, then she supposed she had nothing to worry about. Right?

"Calm yourself," he told her, not sounding very stern at all.

She nodded, yet still nearly died of whiplash by flinching when something spoke.

"If it is not the _Lord_ Sesshomaru..."

"Then it is another figment," Sesshomaru finished the sentence nonchalantly, guiding her through a small barrier which felt like a brief icy breeze hitting every part of her body. It gave her an excellent reason to shiver. "How is your sanity, Bashamon?"

... Bashamon?? _Bashamon_?! Kagome thought he was _dead_! As in, **way** past dead. ... Then again, this was the past, and not the future, but this was Sesshomaru's enemy, and he killed him the first time then let him live the second time...

...

Oye, that was enough to make her head spin. But still, Bashamon? And what was that about his sanity? Had he been in this mountain for four years?? Kagome would have gone stark raving mad if that happened to her...

"Lingering," the yōkai replied sourly. They seemed beyond the argumentative stage and into resigned resentment. "... Ah, I see you have laid the Jewel in another's hands..." Kagome felt like her arm was just plunged into a bucket of cold worms, writhing strokes feeling at more than her skin. She almost gagged, and tried to yank away.

"Be calm, miko," Sesshomaru told her.

"Calm?" she asked, shaking her one good arm to get rid of what ever was up her sleeve. It didn't work.

"Why do you give such an item to a novice?" the yōkai asked, freaking her out by how close his voice was. H_e_ was touching her!? What _was_ he??

"Not my choosing," Sesshomaru stated. "Now quiet yourself, I grow weary of your voice."

Bashamon chuckled, and Kagome absolutely flipped out when the worms felt like they had just slithered to the mounds on her chest. She focused her powers into her hand and slapped the hell out of that yōkai, which actually worked.

"You FILTHY piece of SHIT!!" she yelled, her hands glowing in the darkness. She could barely see the man she was trying to bludgeon, but that didn't stop her. What _did_ stop her was Sesshomaru grabbing her left hand and guiding her closer to where he stood. Her fingers parted around his as his palm slid over the back of her hand, and she was pulled down to a kneeling position to touch something smooth and cold jutting from the ground. He held her hand atop the mystery item, and she noticed how warm his touch was. ... Okay, this _was_ for the straightforward purpose that she do something, but Kagome couldn't help but blush slightly over him holding her hand. H_e_ was touching _her_, and she never felt more stupid in her entire life for letting it get to her. The bastard didn't deserve such a reaction from her!

"Just ignore him, and respond to me," Sesshomaru told her, his voice dull like normal. "And do not release your control until I say so."

"What?" she asked. She completely forgot her question when Sesshomaru's energy leaped almost viciously from himself, making a red glow light the area and give her pupils cause to spasm uncomfortably. She was ready to unleash hers as well as a safeguard from him, but his grip over her knuckles tightened and she forgot about trying as much. She watched as the wispy flames of his power reached out to her, stroking her being almost experimentally, curiously. She bit her lip and swallowed. It felt odd, but she would trust him for now. Besides, she barely thought about it as her eyes were locked with his. He looked so alien, and so strong and stoic with the reflection of his power dancing in his gaze. Above all though, and damn herself for admitting it, he was rather beautiful. And he was so close to her face that she could clearly see the blue sparks of her own eyes staring back at her from his.

His energy slowly felt its way around her until both of them were enveloped. She shuddered at how nice she felt, like having slept without blankets on a cool night and stepping into a hot shower. It was a welcomed feeling, and for some reason it felt so forbidden, so suddenly different.

"Alright," he began, looking down at what was in the ground. It was a very ornate looking stake, made of something very dark in color and polished to reflect Sesshomaru's energy. "Loosen your control."

"On what?" she asked, completely clueless and really uncomfortable. She had to swallow over how dry her throat was. It felt like he was actually touching her wherever his energy lay, despite how ridiculous that sounded.

"On your power," he told her. "I need you to give me control of it in order to utilize the Jewel."

"... So says the man who's been abusing me in every way fathomable of late?" she asked, her trust becoming firmly nailed to a wall and not moving.

"You will not be harmed," he informed her.

She scoffed.

An almost forgotten presence hummed thoughtfully behind them, and she began to turn to look at the demoted yōkai.

Kagome's attentions were redirected to Sesshomaru when he shifted his thumb ever so slightly over her wrist. Oh, why did that have any affect on her...? It wasn't fair... Just that one touch, one small shift in contact, and she could practically melt. It was enough to make her gag. ... Oh, kami, this wasn't the part that would take a day, was it?? She prayed to anyone who loved her that it wasn't.

"Just relax and ignore him," Sesshomaru told her. "Try to meditate. Do not be afraid, and all will be fine."

... Well, at least he knew she had reason to be afraid. Alright, the sooner this was done, the sooner they left, so she tucked her legs under herself, breathed in slowly, breathed out slowly, and tried to enter her zen.

It took a few minutes, but once Kagome finally felt her energy flow freely into the furthest spaces of her body and begin to waft from her being something went wrong. Something was attacking her, a foreign heat seeping into her and twisting her reality in a manner which screamed for her to react. She needed to defend herself, to get it away from her, to kill it. It needed to be gone, and the only thing she wanted to do was make it evaporate from existence. It was tainting her very soul, and made her bones vibrate to the brink of combustion. It was hurting her. It was going to kill her. She needed to kill it first.

"Kagome!"

She blinked, mouth dry and gapped to pant heavily. It was still there, wrapping around her existence like an octopus around its prey. She blinked again, the sound of another person panting not far from her ear. Strong arms were around her torso, and she was held tightly against a firm chest.

She _was_ the prey!!

"Calm down!" Sesshomaru yelled at her, hugging her more tightly when her legs began to kick. "For kami's sake, I told you to not be afraid!"

"That's easier said than done for certain things!" she barked at him, his aura still invading hers. Why it taxed him to the point of labored breathing was beyond her, but this was ridiculous. "I can't do this! Just stop it! It feels horrible!"

"Just calm yourself," he repeated for her. "You are in no danger."

"That's not what common sense is screaming at me!" she almost bellowed. Oh, kami, it felt like he was under her skin and... Feeling... Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh... Noooooooooooo... Why?? It felt so horribly nice, and yet so very, very, utterly wrong...

...

Well, she didn't want to go through this again, so... "Just, hurry up."

That seemed to be no problem for him, and she did her best to think of something else as his energy ran in several streams through her own, coursing over and slowly into her like water over a desert rock. Hm... She began to remember their conversation of the differences of powers. How yōkai converted one form of energy into another... Was that what she was feeling? If so, then she supposed that the threatening bit which was still humming urgently in the fore of her mind was telling her that she was losing power. That it was seeping out of her in the form of something unusable. Something deadly, and threatening. But it didn't hurt her. She felt how controlled it was, like the violent waters rushing through an ever safe and secure fire hose. There was a lot of power, one which would hurt if it was unleashed improperly, but it wasn't. She was safe.

"Feel better?" he asked when she gave a shaky exhale.

"A- Yeah, a little," she replied. "Do I need to do something?"

She heard and felt him shake his head, and wanted to giggle nervously when he released her. She got away from him, not escaping the sensations.

"Hold the stake, and that is all," he told her, completely calm as usual. "What you are feeling now will intensify briefly, but try to control yourself enough to not attack me."

She gave a snort over suppressed giggles. She had attacked him? Maybe that's why he was out of breath. She grasped the stake, and noticed that he didn't hold her hand there, and didn't even move. Instead, the most intense two seconds of her life ensued, and it felt like an eternity.

All of the energy coursing unfamiliarly through her was suddenly directed from its safe circulation, breaking through forces she didn't know existed in her as it focused on one thing. It was too fast for her to feel scared, or threatened. Something snapped, very deeply inside of her, and for a moment she sensed both sides of great power unlock, ready to pounce and fight over her soul in a vicious battle which cared only for portions of the prize.

Then it was gone. The powers were abruptly sealed and stilled, and it felt like her body sighed with relief as the strange energy misted from her. Still, Sesshomaru's energy remained engulfed around her person, and when she looked at him to ask why she noted his glaring. Not at her though.

She looked around, and Bashamon was standing tall over her, his feet planted about six inches from her thigh. There was a terrible gleam in his eyes, and it frightened her.

"Do not attack him," Sesshomaru ordered, making her stop in doing just that. "You would only give him what he wants."

Bashamon smiled insanely then, face dark save for a red glint in his eyes for the way his chin was lifted at them.

Kagome's hand was removed from the stake, pulled up, and she found herself standing and being led away from the crazed yōkai. Passing through the icy barrier brought her to, and Sesshomaru's energy retracted from her body and back to himself.

"What?"

He looked at her. It was a stupid if not very open question, but she couldn't think of any other way to ask it.

He sighed through his nose, which she noticed before all of his energy left the air and plunged the cave back into darkness. "It is a long explanation."

"We have time," she told him, feeling his hand grab her upper arm again as they began to walk back.

"Yes. I, however, have no patience for enlightening you on such a thing," he replied. Figured... She gave a huff, and settled on the silent treatment. He seemed to like that though, so it was a very long and quiet trip back. Hours of tripping later the faint glow appeared ahead she ran hazardously over barely lit rocks and formations back to Sheng.

"Sheng!" she yelled, running through the barrier. "Sheng! We're back!" Her voice echoed in the darkness, and for a moment she was worried. "Sheng! Get back here!!"

She stood on the edge of the shadow cast by the bend of the tunnel, staring expectantly. She was rather shocked when she heard quick steps, and glancing back she noted that Sesshomaru was running closer, then past her, then onwards.

"... Ah! HEY!! Don't leave me here!" she cried, jerking to a dash after him. She ran as best she could, scared that she didn't know what was underfoot. What was overhead. What was ahead. All she could do was hope for sure footing and listen for his footsteps, which were fading quickly.

"Hey!" she tried again. "Sesshomaru! Wait! I'm not as fast as you, and I can't see!" She couldn't hear him anymore. He was too far ahead. "Sesshomaru!" She was scared. She didn't want to get lost. "Se-!"

Her world stopped when she fell forwards. She didn't trip over something. She was falling. It was like thinking there was an extra stair step and trying to take it, only far worse. Her sudden inhale didn't echo back, it was swallowed by the nothingness underfoot.

She was falling. Oh, kami, no. Why? Why did she make that step? She'd never survive this fall!

Her lungs labored to drag air into them, wanting to scream for anything that would help her, and the breath was knocked out of her when her chest collided with something.

She grabbed it, terrified of what would happen if she let go, and she felt herself rising. She began breathing again when she was slowly pulled upright once more, and she felt her heart kick back to life when she dropped slightly and felt ground beneath her feet.

She was safe. She was alive. She wasn't falling, and being still was the best sensation in the world.

"Do not waste time," Sesshomaru growled, releasing his hold on her to redirect it to her wrist. Kagome thought she'd die if he suddenly led her off the edge, then she realized how affronted she was.

"What the HELL!" she demanded. "I go careening into a pit of doom and you call it wasting your time!?"

"Yes."

Well, that was certainly a simple answer. "You're so intolerable!"

After a minute, Kagome had a feeling that something was wrong. Sesshomaru didn't have a counter for that accusation of hers, meaning his mind was immensely on something else. Was something wrong? And where had Sheng gone off to?

Kagome was surprised when Sesshomaru got them running again, wondering a few times if the shifting and clicking of rocks wasn't her crushing some weird albino cave grasshopper. She was rendered to pants after a solid five minutes, and even with taking the strongest and longest leaps she could she was still being pulled along strongly enough to dislocate her shoulder.

"Can't you, just use some, energy, to get, out of here?!" she demanded, feeling like she had to yell for her weary voice to reach him.

"No."

She huffed, for more than one reason. "Well, why not?!"

"It would be illogical."

Damn him for sounding so cool and collected while her body ran on overdrive to keep up.

"Why!" she demanded.

"Because of various side effects which would prove unfavorable in both the present and the future."

She blinked, and when they went downhill and looked up to see the light of day she blinked again. She didn't know if it was because her eyes were adjusting, or if things were just too fast, but after half a second of sudden movement she found herself sitting on a cloud with an arm around her waist.

"... Um..."

"Do not squirm, and you will not fall," he told her bluntly, his voice tearing past her ear as they sped onwards.

"Actually," she began anew, "you're hurting me." And he was. Her right shoulder was being pushed towards her sternum. She was expecting him to indulged in that situation, but to her surprise he loosened his grip. She looked up at his face, but he ignored her.

... Hm... Well, he was still an ass. And he would go back to not giving a damn about her right when they returned to the o-shiro.

The further they were from the mountain the more energy Sesshomaru used, and very soon Kagome found herself keeping her eyes closed because of the speed. Breathing was rather difficult, and she leaned on Sesshomaru just to feel like the air wouldn't rip her off her perch.

When they arrived she leaped for the ground, cherishing it. Her happiness was short lived though upon looking at Sesshomaru, who looked around as though expecting everything to be on fire. She noticed Li Hua staring off somewhere before turning to regard them.

"Ah. You heard?"

"What of?" Sesshomaru demanded, stepping closer to the woman.

"The minor invasion," she replied. "Apparently, some of the rebellious birds have partnered with a remaining force of reptiles, and are attacking the southern regiment.

Not that she was trying to listen, but Kagome couldn't hear what Sesshomaru said to his mother before taking off. She felt rather left out, but there really was no reason to accompany him on something she had no part in.

"Do not feel left behind," Sesshomaru's mother cooed over her shoulder, making Kagome look at her rather than the disappearing lord. "Your inugami daiyōkai will return."

Kagome felt heat rise to her face and she turned away with a scoff to hide it. "I wouldn't mind if he spent the rest of the month away."

She could swear the woman was smiling at her as she made her way for her room. Perhaps a conversation over tea with Jia would prove to be calming...

* * *

**A/N:** Was that random enough? :)

'Nincompoop' **is** a real word. I was completely shocked.

Anyway, sorry this took some time to write! If there are grammatical errors, please forgive me. I'm currently trying to re-read everything to correct those, so hopefully they weren't bad and I'll get them soon.

Thanks for reading! Review, please! :D


	9. Ticking Thoughts

**A/N:** Hmm... It's odd, I've had nothing to say of late in these... Other than this is nineteen pages long, which is far too big of a chapter...

...

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Ticking Thoughts**

Kagome, currently making her irked way back to her room as the setting sun glared happily into her face, had the word inugami daiyōkai racing through her mind. Was that his real title? She didn't know, she had never asked him. Or anyone for that matter. It had never been important. And WHAT was that yōkai twit doing calling Sesshomaru 'hers'? Sheesh, everyone around there was blind to some of the most obvious things...

Arriving outside the bedroom, she slid open the door and was rather surprised to see two women in there. There was Jia, who she had expected, but the second woman was in late puberty and possessed dark locks and fierce amber eyes. She also had a toothy smile, lower lip barely covering her canines. In a way, she was rather pretty. In another way, she was oddly threatening. Did the woman try to have that certain glint in her eyes, or was it just a part of her character?

"Hello," Kagome greeted, thinking that the two yōkai were friends. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," the mystery woman replied, wearing a fine silk kimono of deep blues and red. She stood, and bowed minutely at the waist in greeting. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Kagome-sama. My name is Chiro."

Kagome blinked, and then smiled and mimicked the bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well." She went ahead and had a seat with them, and Jia was kind enough as to pour her some tea. Kagome noted the young servant had a somewhat stiff back, but that could easily have been from morning duties.

"How was the trip?" the shy servant asked. She still seemed uncertain about asking questions, which had been cute for the first two days.

"Ugh, a nightmare," Kagome replied, running her nails through her hair and remembering how much she desired some conditioner. "I hate caves... You yōkai are very lucky to see so well in the dark."

Jia giggled once, and Chiro full out laughed.

"... Am I missing something here?" Kagome asked, eyes darting between the two.

"Yes, you are," Chiro replied with a goon natured smile. "Only truly powerful yōkai can see perfectly in the dark, especially in caves. It takes energy to advance the senses, and quite a bit of practice."

Chiro seemed amused by Kagome's confusion. Upon asking how she was doing with that information, Kagome shook her head. "I was just thinking, I didn't sense any special amount of energy from them."

Jia was able to suppress a giggle this time.

"You humor me," Chiro informed, smiling in a way that made Kagome feel that she was a simple being. It was quite offending, but she tried to brush it off. This _was_ and inu, after all. Most were like this. "You would sense the same amount even if they were asleep. It is a trained usage of power and it takes years to master the senses."

"Oh," Kagome replied, feeling somewhat cross. It wasn't as though every human, let alone every monk and miko, should know such a thing. "That's fairly interesting."

"Why do you not like caves?" Jia then asked, being very good with a lack of entitlement. Kagome had informed her as nicely as possible a few days ago that if she was called Lady one more time then the girl would regret it.

Kagome had an anti-relaxing rant then, and completely skipped over any part to which she had a stupid reaction, which happened to be a lot of the story. Most of the Sesshomaru details, anyway. It was odd, but it seemed that Chiro brightened in hearing how the two of them got along. Then again, wasn't everyone? Kagome was now used to being seen as the mysterious, foul tempered miko who came to fight the lord and who stayed by a counselor's side. Apparently, age difference in terms of romantic interests was a rather minute worry for yōkai.

"Hm," Chiro hummed once Kagome reached the end of her short tale. "That sounds like him..."

"Do you know him well?" Kagome asked, intrigued.

"Oh yes," Chiro replied. "I have been a servant here for all my life, and I do hope you know that if there is one thing servants are good at it is learning everything about those higher in rank and gossiping about it."

Kagome smirked. "Yeah, I know. That's why Jia's here."

Jia flushed brilliantly.

"Don't deny it, I know better than to think otherwise," Kagome giggled across the brim of her thick ceramic tea cup. "... You are dressed very nicely for a servant, Chiro."

Chiro smiled in that oddly toothy manner of hers. "It is because I am experienced."

... Alright, she supposed that made sense. Most of the older yōkai servants dressed better anyway. Did they get a salary to buy fairly fine garments, or was it a sign of favoritism from lords and ladies? Who knew, it could even be a way of ranking the servants by having them dress differently. Kagome had seen someone in a simple off white kimono with stains and worn spots at the knees before, but that was probably because he was handling chamber pots... Kagome never knew how nice it was to have porcelain under her until it was replaced by a pot which didn't empty with the push of a lever...

Kagome's attention was caught by Jia blushing over nothing and dismissing herself to continue with her job, which happened to be cleaning the tea dishes.

Once the room's sliding door clattered shut, Kagome found herself in the company of an absolute stranger.

"So, what is your position here?" she asked, trying to make conversation and feeling like she was doing a bad job of it.

Chiro actually seemed delighted by it though. "I am a personal servant. Somewhat like Jia's duty to you, save for my position is permanent."

Kagome's eyebrows rose slightly. "You must be good at what you do to guarantee a position."

Chiro smiled, appearing as though her ego was just stroked fondly. "I suppose. ... I have been meaning to ask you in person rather than relying on the rumors here. Is it true that you wish to kill the lord here and claim this o-shiro?"

Kagome was terribly shocked. "Oh, _kami_, **no**!"

Chiro perked up, bodily asking for details.

Kagome blew the ever growing bangs from her face with a huff. "Trust me, the last thing I want is responsibility over the largest pack of inu known to man..."

Chiro openly laughed at that, and Kagome couldn't help but join in. Their conversation continued for quite a while, going from that to her reasonings as to why, to denial over love interests, then quickly to shared wonders as to why the southern regiment was attacked.

"From what I have gathered," Chiro stated, Jia replacing the sheets of Kagome's bed no matter how often Kagome said she'd be fine with the same ones for more than twenty four hours, "there is not much there to be had save for soldiers, supplies, and weapons. It seems rather illogical that they attack such a reinforced place with ruffians against soldiers..."

"Hm," Kagome replied. "True. Did they have any advantage to attacking though? Maybe there was a food shipment? I hear food is rather short of late."

"M-hm," the yōkai agreed. "I do not know if they would be so desperate, considering all of the disadvantages for them. There must be something rather valuable in mind, since those lizards actually roused themselves for the winter to attack.

That was an intriguing little fact. Both Kagome's and Chiro's attentions were caught by two returning auras, and Chiro dismissed herself to greet them. Kagome remained in her room though. She did not want to go outside to shove Sheng having lied into his face, it was dark out now anyway, and the newly made bed was quite inviting.

It was not until two days later that Kagome found herself stuck in Sesshomaru's presence again, and that was when she accompanied Sheng to a meeting. By being stuck in that particular yōkai's presence though, she meant that the two of them were shunned from the room at the same time. Apparently, some prudent council matters which could not be provoked by the lord's opinions needed taking care of, and Sesshomaru made comment that his mother was indeed not part of the council as well.

Sheng had then made the reply that her opinions were rather helpful and not nearly as pressing as Sesshomaru's, leaving the daiyōkai to leave with a tainted mood.

Which was just ducky for Kagome...

"So..." Kagome began, watching Sesshomaru's ears twitch as he tried to catch the whispers from inside, "How's life?"

"Long," he answered. Kagome was more surprised by his actually replying than by the reply itself, which seemed to be a joke. It was hard to tell with him though.

"Hm," Kagome giggled in her throat once. She decided to put off hating him until they were allowed back inside. "If you're complaining, then I'm sure someone can do something for you to shorten it."

She felt achieved when an impossibly small smirk appeared on his arrogant face. "And who would that be?"

"Oh," she began, saying the first thing she thought of. "Either Tōtōsai or Myoga. Then again, I think those two would prefer avoiding your 'overwhelming' presence..."

Memories crashed down on her when the barest of chuckles emitted from Sesshomaru, and a comfortable warmth settled in her to see a glimpse of the man who could laugh. Heh, she still had it... He was just too stubborn to admit it, wasn't he? Did yōkai see it as a weakness to find mirth in life? If so, then Sheng must be viewed as a simplistic twit, and she was certain that such a thing was not possible.

There was a short span of silence, Kagome smiling all the while while watching the door.

"You know," she interrupted the stillness, recalling something from a long time ago, "I bet laughing still suits you..."

She watched as his brow furrowed slightly, then barely rose. He remembered that moment. "Perhaps. Being who and what I am, however, makes it something I may not indulge in." She frowned at him, and he noticed it without shifting his gaze. "I may not 'act my age' here until matters are solved."

She scoffed at him, wishing her right arm wasn't bandaged so she could cross them. "There will always be matters to attend to. It would be rather dumb of you to think otherwise. It would also be dumb of you to life a dull life for the sake of responsibility."

Sesshomaru rolled his shoulders, dragging more memories into her mind. Was he really still the same man? If so, then which mask was the fake? His almost human emotions, or his stoic nature? If it was the latter, then he was _really_ good at wearing it... Maybe a little digging was needed to see the hidden side.

"Hm," she hummed, the silence stretching again. She giggled then, and looked away from the door so the back of her head faced the yōkai lord. "You know, the girls were rather shocked to hear you had 'moved away'." He was silent, but there was something in the air which had Kagome thinking that he was humored by that. "And apparently, Yuka was hoping that something would romantically flourish."

She felt his eyes on her, and turned to confirm that. There was an odd and immensely vague expression on his face, and she couldn't put a name on it but it made her turn and blush.

"Between you and her, that is," she supplied, stuttering slightly. Kami, for having such a limited range of facial expressions his certainly were effective. "In case her prancing around in a thonged bikini wasn't obvious enough..." He chuckled, and she smirked, mostly at herself. "Yeah, I know. I told her it was stupid, and had to find another reason other than you despise humans and would never, ever take one seriously in any romantic manner. Your 'moving away' was perfect."

...

"Some humans," he began, glancing at the door, "are bearable."

She looked up at him, needing to see what face he was making now, but her attention was jerked forward when the door opened and they were allowed back inside.

On her tenth evening there she welcomed a session of solidarity, laying on her belly to enjoy what lay outside her room. The floor of the small walking deck to which her door would open was hard but warm under her, which was a pleasant contrast to the soft and cold which nestled nearby. Usually, Kagome would never relax in such a manner, but it was nice. Frigid, but enjoyable, especially with the crystallized flakes of winter slowly dancing to a rest. It was so quiet, and with her energy bottled so as to ignore every yōkai there it was also peaceful. She wondered if Sesshomaru could hear such small flakes when they landed...

...

It was two days since she had spoken with him outside the meeting, which was marked by the thickness of the slowly waxing moon. The bigger it got, the more she was reminded of the lord, with that funny marking on his forehead. Was it a tattoo, or a birth mark? Then he goes and has matching marks on his cheeks and wrists... Were they elsewhere?

...

Even if there were a patch of snow right there, Kagome would have still buried her face into it. Now her nose just kissed the floor as she tried to will the thoughts from her head. Still, the more she tried, the more she thought of it...

No one came to interrupt her minor fantasies that evening, and having sufficiently numbed herself she retired for the evening, expecting quite exciting dreams.

The next day, by mid morning, Kagome was dressed up again and Chiro came to visit. She was quite the annoying being at times, but at others she was delight and easily took Kagome's mind off of Sesshomaru. Kagome was invited to spend time with her for the day, which proved to be interesting. Whereas Sheng was able to give Kagome access to well spoken individuals, she had to admit that such was not her preference.

The servants quarters were far more interesting.

"Hello, mother," Chiro greeted a yōkai who still looked to be in her early twenties. The woman was bent over a basin, washing something.

"Oh. Hello, dear," the woman replied without looking. "How was your evening?"

It seemed odd to Kagome to ask about someone's evening and not the day, but she supposed there was an appropriate reason for that.

"Oh, just fine," Chiro replied. "The minor servants had placed too many braziers in my room though, so it was far too hot by the time I went to sleep."

The mother nodded, then peered over her hunched shoulder and regarded Kagome. "And who is this? An addition?"

Chiro giggled. "No, mother, this is no servant. This is the miko who came here eleven days ago."

Kagome was mildly surprised when the yōkai's eyes hardened at her, probably seeing only a miko and not a sentient being with feelings.

"I see... I'm sure you'll guarantee that she has fun before her untimely death..."

Kagome's eyes widened at the sudden comment, the woman returning to her laundry washing.

"Do not mind her," Chiro reassured, gently guiding Kagome away by pressing her shoulder blade. "She can be quite the blunt bitch."

Within a few hours, Kagome came to terms with the fact that life here was dull. By the afternoon she was itching for an argument with Sesshomaru, but since both he and Sheng returned to the regiment for a checkup she was left to her own musings...

"Hey Jia," she began, the young yōkai checking the braziers while she sat training her energy at the foot of her bed.

"Yes?" the young girl asked. She was _very_ good at not giving Kagome annoying titles...

"Are there any balls here?"

"Balls?" she inquired, genuinely curious.

"Yeah. Nothing ornate, just a playing ball. Like for a kid."

Jia looked surprised. "Well, yes, certainly. Would you like one brought here?"

"Yes please," Kagome replied. "Make that three of them."

Three ancient temari leather playing balls, freshly made, were brought for Kagome's enjoyment. She used them in her training, sharpening her control over flying objects. She had two set spinning in the air, the inner circle just wide enough to accommodate the remaining ball, and as she was trying to shoot the last through the whirling hoop someone knocked.

Kagome blinked when three objects began bouncing around the room.

"Come in!" she invited, gathering them up again.

"My, my, how humans entertain themselves," Chiro commented.

Kagome smirked. "It's better than sitting around uselessly all day."

Chiro giggled, and walked in to close the door. "You are welcome to make a decorative temari ball whenever you choose, rather than play with the toys of the o-shiro brats. It is a common practice among ladies to craft the ornate balls."

"I'll think about it," Kagome replied, concentrating on getting her leather ring spinning again and staying in one place. "I'm training right now though, so my apologies if you get hit by something."

Chiro smirked. "Oh, and harm my complexion? Such a thing would be dreadful."

Kagome chortled. "Oh, yes, a sin I'm sure." Oh yeah, she got it through. She was getting better.

They had a very uninteresting conversation then, which was brief and consisted mostly of body language. Since Kagome was rather focused though, and not on the inu, she was soon left to be by herself again. Life was very boring.

Three days later marked Kagome's second week there, and she got to thinking that she was halfway to resuming that fight with Sesshomaru. Even if it was a fight to the death, she knew she would never kill him, and that meant that she had to be good enough to win and then get out of there. Winning was easy, winning and then refusing what was yours was the hard part...

"Hah!" she yelled again, making a rather hard slice with her sword. She needed the momentum of the swing to spiral spin in a double kick, a move which only seemed useful in the movies, and when she landed she almost twisted her ankle.

"Dammit," she muttered, lifting her foot out of the snow imprint she had created earlier. Practicing in powder was fine, until you had a substantial amount of uneven ground. She lifted her leg to shake loose the muscles in her foot, and huffed as the sweat on her back became itchy. "Glad to see you're back."

She heard Sheng chuckle, having been standing in one place for a while to watch.

"You know, you lied to me," she told him, sheathing her blade while turning to face him. "You said you'd be there..."

A solitary eyebrow quirked at her, and he grinned. "Yes. Yes I did. I apologize that pressing matters came up."

She came up to stand with him out of the snow. "Do you know how scary it is to fall off a cave bridge?"

"Nope," he admitted. "I'm sure the fall was brief?"

Kagome scoffed. "Yeah, but that was rather unexpected." She wiped sweat off her brow with her snowy sleeve, which was a bit counterproductive. The motion made her collar bone sting, but she had decided that it mended enough to continue with her practices. She'd see by tonight depending on whether or not it swelled.

"Really?" he asked.

"You know, you give Sesshomaru a hell of a lot of credit," she told him, punching his right arm with her left fist. It was a guy accepted thing to do, which she observed in high school with how the boys slapped one another and shoulder-jumped to prove they truly existed on the Earth, so he chuckled.

"So you met Chiro?"

"Yeah," Kagome replied. "She's kind of self centered. And bitchy. ... How could you tell?"

She smirked when he tapped his nose as though he were Santa and about to shoot up the chimney.

"Hm..." she replied, satisfied with the answer. "... I have an odd question for you."

"Alright."

"What do I smell like?"

He blinked at her, then smirked and ran a hand through his untied hair. For some reason he wore it loose today. "That would be hard to explain."

"Care to try over tea and sake?" she invited.

Five minutes later, she sat down to discover what she smelled like.

"So," he began, setting his cup aside to be refilled. "Are you sure you are ready to hear it?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I asked, didn't I?" Besides, it was just her scent, not her fortune.

He nodded, taking her point, and dismissed the servants. He hated being waited upon. "Well, in all simplicity, you smell like Kagome the miko," he began.

She balked. "Well, yeah, but what does that smell like?"

He hummed at nothing, seeming to concentrate. "It smells like a very healthy female, young and in her prime for mating, but like one who is not interested in finding suitors."

She absolutely refused to choke on her tea.

"Then the defining features of your scent are what identify you." His brow was furrowed, like he was trying to get a word off the tip of his tongue. Apparently this was the hard part, and she had a feeling it would take a while. "You are someone who is determined, and not genuinely afraid of anyone. You act tough, but only to someone who may or has hurt you. Underneath that, you are trusting, truthful, dedicated, wise, intelligent, sarcastic, outspoken, respectable, but most of all happy." He stopped to think, and fixed his eyes on her own. "The most prominent scent coming off of you though, for now, is uncertainty. You are seeking something, and are not finding it. Because of that you are also angry, and sad, and for some reason you want to be."

She blinked at him. "No one wants to be angry and sad..."

He smirked. "That is the confusing bit about you. You are truthful, but not to yourself."

She was frowning now. "... And, this is all on my scent...?"

He nodded, and she gave a heavy sigh. "If there's more, I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, splendid," he replied, taking another drink. "Because that would take all day."

She giggled at him. "Do I stink, or is it just an odd and precise personality test?"

He shrugged, and smiled at her being affronted. "Well, there _is_ sweat on you, that much is quite obvious to the nose."

She glared. "_You_ are _so_ **mean**..."

He laughed, and when he was done he continued speaking. "The funny thing about your scent, which I'm sure has caught a bit of attention, is that no one needs to have a developed sense of smell to know exactly who and what you are."

"... Is that a compliment?"

"Yes. Very much so," he supplied. "It proves how much you honor yourself, and if you honor yourself then others honor you."

Her brain turned ninety degrees to try and process that last bit. "Ah... Thanks... I think." Did he just call her an open book??

"Do not feel insulted," he almost scolded. She supposed that had been on her scent too... "Also, the council has decided that the day before your fight with Sesshomaru resumes, the two of you will strengthen that barrier again."

"What?!" she demanded. "I thought it was only a once a month thing!"

"It is," he replied. "However, if the battle proves to have a very unfavorable outcome, it would leave us with a mere six days in which to find an alternative sealing method."

"That _can't_ be the only reason you'd do that to me," she stated.

"Can you think of another?" he tested, looking humored for some reason.

"Well... No, not really..." Unless they were all sick and evil. "But there must be another method plotted out already..."

"There _should_ be," he agreed. "But it has never been an issue until now."

Kagome dug her palms into her eye sockets. Dogs gave her headaches...

That evening she _did_ have a sore shoulder, and it had her waking up wincing.

"I've bed ridden myself..." she complained to Jia, who looked around the room for something to do.

"I did suggest that you not practice," she almost scolded, which impressed Kagome to no end. This girl was a good student.

"Yeah, but you didn't say anything about sleeping on it," Kagome fired back happily, feeling her head beat with her heart. "Uuuuuugh... Don't you guys have anything like aspirin?"

"Like what, my l-?" Jia caught herself, and ended her sentence there.

"Like, something for my head, it hurts."

The girl walked over to look at Kagome.

"... Well, I do not see an injury..."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I have a headache, not an injury..."

"What is a headache?"

Kagome blinked at the girl. She hated yōkai...

"Uuuuuuugh... Don't you have any pain reliever, or herbs someone takes before surgery or something??"

"Well, we do have something to relieve pain," Jia began, sounding uncertain, "but I-"

"No buts," Kagome almost snapped. Being in pain was not the best way to suppress irritability. "Sorry. Please, just bring it to me."

Jia bowed slightly, and walked off to get it. Kagome, not wanting to see the light of day, lifted her left arm over her eyes. By the time Jia returned, Kagome had fallen back asleep.

"Is that it?" she asked, pained by hearing her own voice. This wasn't her average headache...

"Yes," Jia replied, setting the flat tray on the table and pouring some tea. Into it went an odd liquid, and only a quick tip of the long necked glass bottle it from which it came was added to the tea. "You are sure you want this?"

"Of course," Kagome replied, taking the offered cup and drinking it as fast she could. Gasping over the quick swallows, she moved her tongue, then licked her lips, and she didn't taste a thing. She had been expecting it to be nasty like Kaede's herbal remedies, but this had no flavor at all. ... In fact... "Is this just water?"

"The majority of the liquid was, yes," Jia confirmed.

"... Why do you look so nervous?" Kagome asked, feeling the pain ebb already.

"Well, this particular pain reliever has not been used outside of my species..."

Kagome could actually feel herself pale, and the cup slipped from her fingers. She flexed her hand, and it was extraordinarily difficult. Then she blinked because there were six- No, eight fingers on that hand. That didn't worry her though she looked from her hand, to the wall, to the ceiling...

...

... ...

... ... ...

"Kagome!"

Kagome was shocked and shot up out of bed, the box spring mattress bouncing her slightly with the movement.

"Kagome! Wake up, you'll be late for school!"

... School...? She went through a quick panic. Did she do her homework?? Did she remember to get her math book back from Sota? She didn't know, so she yanked the covers aside and stepped out of bed.

She was wearing hakama... Oh, right, _that_ school... Her mom bleached her martial arts outfit, how cute...

"Sota!" she went screaming down the stairs anyway. "Do you have my science book?!"

"I thought you wanted your math book!" he yelled back to her.

Oh... Right... "Ah, both!" she replied. She opened his bedroom door, and grabbing them she ran back to her room and put the books on her desk. She had to move a different book though, and frowned. It was English.

"Sesshomaru, can't you study in your own room?" she asked the yōkai, who happened to be translating a book at her desk.

He ignored her, and she slapped him upside the head before getting her sword. He didn't respond to that, and for some reason she was disappointed.

"Well, see ya!" she cheered with a wave, running down the stairs from her room. The steps turned to cement, which was good because looking up she saw the small dojo she practiced in.

"Hey, Keiji!" she greeted the teenager still getting ready on the bench. She looked around for someone to spar, since she had her equipment on already. "Oye! Sesshomaru! Wanna fight?"

He glanced at her, and she suddenly felt something in her chest. Looking down, there was a sword, and looking up she saw the same yōkai still looking at her.

"Well, that was rude," she told him, taking Tenseiga from herself and sheathing it. It was snowing, and they were in a small woodland clearing.

"It sure was," Inuyasha commented, seeming very uninterested in all of this.

"Funny though," Sheng commented, suddenly at her side. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, and threw Tenseiga back to Sesshomaru. Sheng looked serious all of a sudden, which worried her. "You do not know what that was, do you?"

That question was familiar, and Kagome looked forward to see Sesshomaru looking at her from across the bridge in the cave, eyes glowing with a blue crystal in his hand. She wanted to scream at him, and she held out a hand to take the essence back into herself. The daiyōkai gently folded his fingers around it though, keeping it, and disappeared. She was left alone in the dark. The bridge gave way under her feet, and there was no one to catch her.

"GAH!!"

Kagome blinked, and noticed that she was sitting up in a bed again, panting horribly and sweating like no other. Her chest heaved with a heavy heart, which beat twice with every quick breath. Her arms shook as her fists clutched the blankets, and blinking again revealed the rest of the room.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome quickly looked over to see Sesshomaru sitting at her short table again, though not reading anything this time. She pinched herself to see if she was still out of it, which seemed to confuse him.

"Hopefully you are not delusional from a mild dose of Aconitum root..."

She frowned, then looked around, then frowned at him. "Of what?"

"The 'pain reliever'," he told her in a flat tone. "Unless you do not recall."

"No, I recall," she confirmed, making sure all her limbs were properly working again. "... Why are you here?"

He frowned at her, and Tenseiga pulsed from where it lay on the tabletop. "To assure that your death was valid, should my opponent die before our fight."

Tenseiga pulsed a few more times, seeming annoyed. Sesshomaru was the genuinely irked one though, like he was _forced_ to be there. ... That ass... She could hate him even on a presumption, let alone his choice statements, and people thought they were interested in one another... Laughable... She couldn't help her feminine side thinking that he was pretty in the moon li- It was NIGHT?!

"How long was I asleep??" she asked, shocked. It was just morning, wasn't it?

"Two and a half days," he told her. "And you snore."

She was dumbfounded in more ways than one, and stared at him until acknowledging that her anger wanted a piece of him. "A- Well, at least _I_ don't **grope** people in my sleep!" she fired back.

He actually smirked. "How would you know?"

She felt like her head was a match, red and welcoming ignition to end her embarrassment. "I guess that would make us even on that note..." She frowned at the look of achievement on his face. "You must have been in my room for quite a while to not know snoring as a rare occurrence on my behalf, Sesshomaru..."

His expression revealed how completely off guard she had caught him on that topic, and it made her giggle inside. Oh yes, she was implying something. "Is it morning or night now?"

He blinked when she suddenly went off the topic, then seemed to recall that he was irked. "Morning."

Her eighteenth day there... Ugh... A month was a long time when you had nothing to do. Perhaps she'd talk to Chiro about that temari ball making thing. But, since her shoulder was feeling superb, she decided to throw it out of mending again.

"Does your physical well being hold no precedence in your life?" Sesshomaru asked as she hopped out of bed to grab her sword, propped in the corner.

"Well," she began, partially unsheathing the blade to examine it before jamming it back in and tucking the scabbard between the straps of her hakama. It still hurt to move her right arm, it always did, but pain was simply a sensation and one she could ignore. "As Maslow's hierarchy of needs states," she began, rounding on him, "I am an oddity because the second step of my pyramid doesn't matter so long as the forth is being progressively slaughtered by a certain yōkai from the feudal era, and since that certain yōkai IS in the feudal era, I feel alloted to skip any pyramid step I choose because everything is my life is really screwed up."

After offering a wide smile of toothy sarcasm, she left him to puzzle that out. Psychology, she supposed, wasn't his specialty. Unless, of course, it _was_, and he just used what he knew to make others completely miserable, which sounded fitting for him... ... She stepped into her boots, laced them quickly, stepped outside and began hacking at imaginary Sesshy's all over the place.

After five minutes, Sesshomaru was done pondering and back to destroying that fourth level of the pyramid again; which happened to be her self-esteem.

"Your form is more befitting of an ax rather than a sword."

She stopped, and sighed. "And this Kagome believes that your personality is more befitting of a headsman rather than a lord."

She looked just in time to see his bemusement. Ah yes. Now they were even. Time to tip the scale in her favor.

"And for your information, Sesshy, your advice to learn the basics and then develop your own style positively sucks."

"I would have to disagree..."

Kagome looked quickly to see Sheng, who had mysteriously appeared in the doorway which opened to the hall outside her room. She rolled her eyes, and scrubbed a hand through her hair. ... She needed a bath...

"Just so you know," she told him, pointing an accusatory finger at the roof over his head as she shook it, "_I_ did not need to study the way of the sword to survive or impress people in my time, unlike you yōkai, _and_ I do not have a ridiculously long life to go perfecting a thing not necessary to me!"

Sheng smirked, and Sesshomaru just looked bored. Why was he even there still?

"So why did you learn it?" Sheng asked.

Kagome huffed, and watched the moonlit vapor waft in front of her face. "Because I wanted to show a certain idiot up."

That certain idiot glared at her with golden eyes. "You must be joking to believe you stand any chance against me in swordsmanship..."

"I was doing just _fine_ until you went and broke my clavicle, you sadistic ass wipe!" she yelled at him, nicely fired up to have a good argument.

"Alright children," Sheng laughed. He got two scowls at that suggestion. "No need to fight just because your personalities are too similar to cope."

"I am nothing like-" Kagome and Sesshomaru stopped in their simultaneous statement to look at one another.

"Fuck off," Kagome scoffed. "The both of you. I'm too fried to tolerate inu right now."

"Fried?" Sheng asked. "You have slept for two and a half days, you should be quite relaxed."

She gave him a flat glare. "On the contrary, humans feel like lethargic pieces of shit if they get more than ten hours of sleep in one sitting..."

That seemed like news for both of them.

"Now if you don't mind," she continued, "I'm going to exercise myself out of this lazy and irritable stupor, take a bath, eat something, and then be so utterly bored for the rest of the day that I will sleep tonight _just_ to entertain myself."

That had Sheng laughing, and after a while she was able to check off the first three things on her to-do list. The old yōkai seemed willing to not allow her life to be so boring though...

"What do humans do for fun?" he asked, the rising sun glinting off his armor.

"Depends on the age group," she answered vaguely. Why did he _always_ have to butt in on her meals?? If he wanted to see a cow eat, he could get off that island and visit India.

"Yours."

She sighed through her nose, since her mouth was full. Swallowing it all at once to talk was rather painful. "Nothing that can be done here without en mass training."

That caught his attention. He even let her know it had. So, by that afternoon, Sheng came to fetch her claiming that he had accumulated a group of intrigued individuals.

He didn't say it was a quarter of those living in the o-shiro...

"By group," Kagome began, standing at his side to see the yōkai of various levels flocked into the largest room that place had to offer, "humans are led to imagine about twenty gathered bodies."

"Ah," he replied, seeming amused. "And what would humans call this gathering?"

She stared. "Either a crowd or a mob..."

So, once everyone's attentions were gathered, Kagome found herself ready to talk about games in the future to yōkai who should not have been interested, especially those in armor. The children, sitting closest to her somewhat elevated self, looked ready to have some great mystery poured onto them. It saddened her that she never saw or heard children playing, that must have been quite boring.

"Well," she began, quite embarrassed over everyone being there, "the sport which is most popular in the future is called soccer..."

Kagome was absolutely shocked at how everyone there eagerly listened, and when she said she couldn't coach anymore and had to take a break they were all disappointed. She promised to continue teaching them the sport when she came back though, and suggested that they get some of the necessities ready for practice.

She walked out with closed eyes, which felt swollen, turned, closed the door, turned back, opened them, and flinched.

"What exactly are you orchestrating in my o-shiro?"

She felt her shoulders sag. She didn't have the energy to deal with Sesshomaru right now... "You know, sports make people happy..."

He blinked at her, and her face screwed up with dread over the inevitable yawn she had in store for herself. She let it out into her hand in front of the daiyōkai, and he seemed offended by it.

"Oh, get over yourself," she scoffed at him. "I'm tired, oh well. Just because the universe revolves around you doesn't mean that me or my yawns have to as well."

For some reason, that seemed to make him more mad.

"Here's an idea," she offered, interrupting herself to yawn hard enough to summon tears. "Oye, you do whatever lordly thing you must, and I'll be on my merry way, and we never have to see one another again. How's that?"

She didn't wait for an answer though, beginning to walk past him, and that seemed to be the reason why he reached out and grabbed her upper arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yes?" she asked him, tired and not ready to be angry with him. She just wanted at least three hours of sleep, that was all... She waited for a moment. "... I'm not telepathic and can't read your scent, Sesshomaru. If you want to tell me something, you have to either say it or keep it to yourself."

His eyes narrowed, and he released his hold on her.

"Alright then," she commented, brushing off her sleeve and recalling the soreness in her arm, "see ya."

Despite how tired she was, Kagome couldn't get to sleep. So she roused herself, took a pen and paper from her backpack, and began to write down all the rules of soccer so she didn't have to repeat them so many times.

It must have been two in the morning by the time someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she invited, wondering vaguely if they bore tea. She had supposed as much, since it was an aura she hadn't bothered to memorize yet, and looking up she saw Li Hua step in.

Kagome was absolutely shocked, and the yōkai smiled over it.

"Are you busy?" the woman asked.

"Ah, no," Kagome replied. Why was Sesshomaru's mother there?

The graceful lady had herself a seat in the room, and asked of a servant in the hall to bring tea and rice balls.

Kagome found herself smiling. "I didn't know that rice balls were not too plain for royalty..."

Li Hua turned her ever present simpering face to Kagome. "I did not say that they were for myself."

... Li Hua, one. Kagome, zero. Damn... Kagome smiled though. "I see. By the way, about what you last said to me-"

"Do not try to deny it," the daiyōkai told her.

Kagome gapped. This woman was not terribly worried about interrupting someone... "Deny what?"

Li Hua smiled. "You know, little miko, when my son first left to discover who had entered the lands so long ago I was terribly resentful of what you were." That was quite the way to start a conversation, but the woman's facial expression did not look to be rude. "There is, however, some saving grace about you. I had been wondering for a very long time who my son had met four years ago. I believed he came across a powerful and respectful inu who was so riveting in every way that she could change his way of living in a matter of weeks."

Kagome blushed slightly, feeling that treacherous blood color her cheeks.

Li Hua smiled almost sweetly. "My son had indeed met someone, but he never spoke of her or left to visit. He did leave on numerous occasions, but smelling of slight disappointment rather than lust. After a year, I came to the conclusion that it was one of two things. Either the woman who stole his sanity no longer lived, or she had rejected him."

Kagome was full out red. She had changed him? ... No, she couldn't have. He was still an ass... And the person who could steal anything of his would most certainly be the next individual to die on that planet.

"When I asked him about it," Li Hua continued through Kagome's overheating, "he said that neither was true. So, knowing my son, the only other option was that the female his mind was occupied with was a human..."

Kagome wanted to just turn invisible... Certainly none of this was true.

Li Hua looked like a child holding a lolly pop over a toddler, waiting for the screaming to begin. "And so that image of my son courting a human turned into one of him courting a miko. After a few hours of imaging as much though, he came back simply reeking of disappointment and would not speak to anyone."

Kagome blinked. Was Sesshomaru that immature? Would he let one kiss set off his mood? ... But, then again, that would mean that he had been jealous, or- Or angry, or... Or something else utterly unthinkable... ... Ok, kami, her head was going to explode with how much blood there was in it... This woman _must_ be desperate for some amusement if she was there lying to get a rise from her.

"And so, although I was highly disapproving of a miko being the love interest of my arrogant son," Li Hua admitted, "I was even more disapproving to the idea that something which made him so delightful should be taken away from him."

Kagome snorted then, covering her mouth.

"You believe this to all be a lie?" Li Hua asked, entertained.

Kagome nodded. "None of that can possibly be true..."

"No?" the yōkai asked. "Why not?"

Kagome didn't have an answer to that, and the woman chuckled. "Oh my. It seems my son enjoys making his life difficult."

Kagome felt herself light up again. What she wouldn't give to have even a smidgen of control over herself...

"It seems that you enjoy making life hard on yourself as well," Li Hua commented, glancing over to see the tea and food arrive. "Tell me, miko, why do you resist?"

Kagome was completely humiliated, and didn't know why. "Well... Ah..." She wanted to kick herself, then dig a hole precisely six feet long, three feet wide, and six feet deep... "... Why wouldn't I?"

Li Hua seemed taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Kagome giggled lightly, heart wanting to jump into her throat. "Why would I ever want anything to do with him? I mean, yes, he's powerful and, dare I say, drop dead gorgeous at times, but... ... He's just not my type. And, I'm a human, so he would resent me anyway."

Li Hua smiled, and reached over to pat the top of Kagome's hand, which was holding its counterpart nervously atop the table.

"We will see," she stated, pulling back. "Some things are meant to be, and some things are not. I suggest though that on every encounter you have with him, you keep in mind that he is thinking of nothing other than how beautiful you are and how splendid your presence is, even if bearing with sarcasm and mild attacks is necessary."

Kagome laughed once, and opened her mouth to speak.

"No not even think to second guess me," Li Hua almost scolded while standing. "I am his mother, I am allowed to tell you what his scent reveals every time he sees you. And if your senses were not completely useless then I would not have to be here explaining things to you."

Kagome gapped. Well, so that's where Sesshomaru got it from...

The yōkai smiled warmly then, and left with a 'good luck'.

Kagome counted the seconds which remained of her eighteenth day there, and upon the dawn of the nineteenth she decided in the bath that she was going to avoid that man as much as possible, at all costs, until she could beat him and then start to dig for the Bone Eater's Well through all that snow before she died in the past of embarrassment. The really horrifying thing about what Sesshomaru's mother had mentioned though was how much sense it made, and how what she said supported Sheng and Sango in their random comments.

Kagome blushed, and lowered herself a tad more deeply into the water. _Was_ it possible...? Her groan turned into bubbles which popped against the bridge of her nose. It just made too much sense, and because of that dumb idea she was absolutely terrified to ever see that daiyōkai ever again, because when she did he would most definitely notice her sudden feminine nervousness, and a side of her didn't want to see any reaction he could have to that...

* * *

**A/N:** Hello! I hope it was interesting! Mothers are odd woman, aren't they... If I had a dumbass son like Sesshomaru I'd ruin his life in a heartbeat by doing something like that... :D

I must admit that I'm going through the days in this like water through your fingers, but the really dumb thing is that I simply can't A: perceive life there as interesting, or B: have those two run into one another all the time, because it just doesn't seem like something they'd do... So, time is going quickly, but that's mostly because I want to get important details in without boring readers, so that opens the door to better events. :D Believe me, I have ample events in store of these two, and I am going to have so much fun writing it so I hope you enjoy reading it... Anyway, I hope I had kept everyone entertained while 'killing time'. I really hate the fact I'm doing that, it feels like cheating... :P

By the way, just because I'm curious, I was wondering if this fic was actually getting worse in any way. I feel really stupid for asking as much, but (and it's probably circumstance) for the last chapter, I got the least reviews for it than I had for any other in this part of the story. Not that I'm demanding reviews or anything, I was just wondering if there was an after-you-read-it-bad-feeling thing going on there. It just seemed really odd and I was wondering if there was something I could change/edit, that's all. :) No biggie, just curious.

Also, I didn't re-read some parts yet, I was too excited about posting again. Sorry for the errors, I know there has to be some. Hopefully they weren't completely story-jarring though. :D

Thanks for reading! Review, please!


	10. A Spark in the Dark

**A/N:** WOOT!! Over thirty reviews for one chapter! It's a record! XD Thank you!!

LOL, alright, I have a question. There are two people who **always** hit the newly updated chapters within four minutes of them being posted, and it's usually at two a.m. (or later) my time. So it makes me wonder, who _are_ you?? :)

By the way, my muse decided to strap itself to this chapter big time, so if you read this and get shocked, then just know that I was shocked too.

* * *

**Chapter 10f**

**A Spark in the Dark**

Kagome didn't necessarily cherish life when Sheng began to act as though he was in on this idea of introducing her to a Sesshomaru who didn't actually loath her... The first time he did as much, she was at his side in a casual meeting and stuck imagining how much she made the room reek of embarrassment when the inugami daiyōkai came in. Sheng and Li Hua made it impossible for her to leave though, and the odd thing was that Tao and Shu Fang seemed quite happy to watch her squirm over apparently nothing in her seat. Then there was Sesshomaru, who seemed to get progressively more annoyed by her nervousness.

Once that near death experience was over, Kagome tried to walk quickly for her room where she could demand that Jia bring more of that tonic so she could sleep until the fight, but someone walked more quickly than her.

"Oh," she almost squeaked when her arm was grabbed by Sesshomaru, who looked rather confused and angry because of it. His confusion was most likely not helped in the least by her furious blush. "Um, hi, I need to go now."

"Not until you tell me why you are acting so strange," he informed, not releasing her.

... Some higher power absolutely loathed her, didn't it...

She managed a half hearted frown at him, more focused on his hand being on her than on her immature anger with him. "It's nothing important, now let me go."

"Do not lie to me," he almost seethed, his eyes searching hers. She felt like a little sparrow that was bound to go 'splat' soon... "What happened so suddenly that made you like this?"

... "Like what?" she asked, almost panicking.

He actually scoffed, and she fancied that her scent was quite the puzzle to be able to make him produce such a noise. ... Oh, kami, she hoped that he couldn't smell how cute she suddenly thought he was.

He looked at her, and she made an 'eep'. _Did_ he?! This WASN'T fair!!

"It's just-!" she began, having thought something brilliant would spew from her mouth as per usual. It didn't, which left him quirking an eyebrow at her as she looked at everything but him and uttered odd letters and fragmented sentences. She finally was in risk of hyperventilation, and needed to flare her energy to make him let go so she could flee. When she felt safe in her room, she turned to lean against the door and sighed, but in her falling back motion it clattered open and she leaped away with a scream when she landed briefly against Sesshomaru's chest.

"For _kami's_ **sake**!!" she shrieked, stumbling to a stop an uncomfortable ten feet away from him. He wasn't even wearing armor that day! He stepped inside. "Ah! Don't come near me!"

... What in the world was she thinking supposing such a statement would every be heeded by him...

"Miko," he warned her, now three feet away and almost glaring death at her. Death was never confused though, hence the 'almost'. "Whatever you are thinking to render such a drastic change in your personality and scent, I highly suggest that you correct it before something bad happens."

"Oh," she replied, nodding up at him like an idiot. "I _completely_ agree, and I'm glad to know you see things my way!"

He looked absolutely baffled and studied her.

"I am not a Rubik's cube!" she screamed at him. "Now stop trying to figure me out and get out of your room!!"

Both of his eyebrows raised at that, and Kagome thought she was going to die of humiliation, or just die, when he stepped closer and put the back of his hand to her forehead.

Then she realized what he was doing... "I do NOT have a FEVER!!"

"Then your only excuse for this behavior is gone," he told her.

"Well, fine!" she replied, trying to smash down fond memories of the last time they were this close to one another. "Now get out!!"

"Sesshomaru, that is enough," Li Hua chuckled from the still open entrance to Kagome's room. "You may kill the poor thing by being near her too long..."

That obviously made no sense to Sesshomaru, and Kagome used the moment of his looking over his shoulder with confusion at the woman to dash for the safety of her bed. She made it, and felt immensely safer when she could sit comfortably and watch him leave with a shake of his head.

Li Hua waved hello, and Kagome frowned at the delighted yōkai before she disappeared after her son.

After twenty minutes of trying hide from the world like it was a monster, Kagome had the blankets pulled from over her head and was hauled to her feet by Sheng to enjoy the day and teach yōkai how to play soccer. He dragged her off multiple times, every day, until the final time when Kagome was literally hauled out to the courtyard to meet Sesshomaru and leave for the blasted mountain, a trail of far too happy children following her so she would play with them. Their reaching hands seemed a more promising fate than being stuck in a mountain with Sesshomaru again.

"What do you _mean_ you're not coming?!" she almost wailed to Sheng, who was currently smiling while keeping the playful children away from their new best friend.

"There is no need to," he answered.

Sesshomaru seemed to have better things to do, and she was lifted off her feet and far away from the o-shiro so that they could be done with the seal strengthening and get on with life. As she was pulled away, she could swear some of the young girl yōkai blushed at her and Sesshomaru and giggled behind their hands.

Those little...! Did _everyone_ thing they were a couple?!

Sitting fully upright, she didn't care how much it felt like she would fall off that funny little cloud of his, she was _not_ leaning against him this time.

...

"Miko," he finally began, sounding exasperated with her. He seemed to notice her trying to inch even further away from him on the roiling energy. "This is becoming ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," she stated.

"Stop your antics before I am forced to do so in your stead," he threatened. After a moment he looked at her, as though wondering why she didn't start yelling at him. She looked away with a blush, and he sighed and looked ahead. She almost felt sorry for the guy, but he was an ass and didn't deserve her pity.

...

"Miko," he began again, sounding like he was three seconds away from rubbing his temples.

"Don't!" she yelled, on her hands and knees when her vision completely failed in the belly of the cave. She was _not_ going to fall off that bridge again, as soon as she found it... "I'll catch up. Just don't touch me or offer help, because I refuse it."

Her not being able to see was to his great advantage, and she began yelling at him when she felt herself be picked up and slammed onto a shoulder. Once she got some air back into her lungs, she began to yell at him to put her down and tried to kick and punch the yōkai who dared touch her frazzled self. After an hour of doing that, she decided to try and get comfortable, but it was absolutely impossible. Muscle was not a good thing to be on for a long duration of time.

"Sesshooooooomaruuuuuuu..." she groaned again. "It huuuuuuuuurts..." She swore she was walking away from this with two bruises on the front of her hip bone and a few out of place floating ribs.

"Deal with it," he told her. She huffed, hearing her voice echo. Well, at least she wouldn't fall, but the feeling of his right hand on the back of her left thigh to hold her in place was enough to keep her mind off of such worries. She tried to think about something completely unrelated to this scenario.

...

... ... Everything in her head related to this scenario...

She groaned once more, this time with resignation. They hadn't even come to the barrier yet, which meant there was a long way still to go.

...

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout," she sang an hour later, voice a tad raspy from all the self-entertaining songs she had thought of. She then began motioning her arms to the tune, "here is my handle, here is my spout."

Her 'handle' accidentally elbowed Sesshomaru in the back of the head.

"..."

"..."

"... I am _not_ apologizing for that," she finally told his silent self.

He gave a thoughtful hum to the dark.

"And I am _not_ insane." He _was_ thinking that, wasn't he?? ... Then again, she was singing about being a teapot.

"I have yet to see evidence of that."

She scoffed, the noise echoing. Were they on the bridge?? "If I was insane, I would..." She would, what? Not be at the o-shiro? Nope, she was already living there. Not be in this predicament? Too late... "... Uuuuuuugh..." She let her head flop and hit her brow against his armor, which made quite the 'doom' noise and reverberated off the walls and in her ears.

Sesshomaru chuckled, and she tried to knee him, but got another 'doom' for it and began to drum 'doom' all over the place with her frustration and fists against his torso armor.

"Settle down, miko," he finally told her, squeezing the back of her thigh. That move was _quite_ effective in making her go completely still, and shocked her before she could give an angry reply.

"This is NOT fair!" she yelled at him, now resigned to slapping his armor for the hell of it.

"Life usually is not, for the inane."

She gapped at the darkness. "_You_ are a_ bastard_."

The ass chuckled at her again.

"Agh!" she yelled. "_Why_ are you so happy?! I _hate_ it when you're happy!"

"Hm. I suppose your statement on who makes me laugh has some ring of truth to it."

She was so offended that she was silent. "Not to laugh **at** me, you jerk!"

She flinched when he really did laugh, listening to it echo off the interior of the cave, and she elbowed him again.

"Stop that! It's freaky!"

"Is it?" he asked, sounding a tad enlightened. That, or still humored. Kami, why did he take such delight in her misery? ... Then again, was something coming off her scent? Ah, shit, what the hell was he thinking?

"Yes, it is!" she confirmed.

"And to think you have said before that laughter suits me." He _still_ sounded entertained. Stupid self-righteous arrogant... _Something_!

"Well, not at my expense," she told him, pouting. "I expect a little more respect than to be laughed at over something I can't help."

"Which is?" he prompted.

She gave a horrible blush, considering that in a way she just admitted that she had some interesting feelings for him. "Which is none of your damn business!"

"It _is_ my business if it has something to do with me," he stated. She almost had a heart attack.

"You presume the worse," she tried to scoff, bluffing it. He chuckled again, and she was rudely reminded that he could smell her true emotions. "This isn't fair... I'm even being hauled off like a Viking prize..."

Sesshomaru knew who and what the Vikings were, which made her all the more embarrassed as their conversation went downhill for her, uphill for him.

When they had reached the barrier Kagome demanded to be let down, and after a few more persuasive songs he set her on her feet in the absolute dark and continued walking.

She stared, and began to follow. Five steps into it she hit a stalagmite.

"Do you require assistance?" he asked from up ahead.

"No!" she yelled, stubbornly marching forward and clobbering her other knee. She bit her tongue and squealed through clenched teeth. He dropped her off in a mine field, not on the path. That sounded so like him. She reached out, and her knuckles scraped against the formation which would have claimed her forehead. "... Yes..."

He came and fetched her, but didn't throw her over his shoulder again. He merely led her by the wrist, and she felt humiliated and tried to think of something else. "So... Do you smell magnesium again?"

He was silent for a second. "No."

Her face scrunched up. She thought that was a stupid question of hers because of her certainty in getting a 'yes'. "Isn't it suppose to be part of the rock?"

He was silent as they continued forward, but she was excited about finding something which took her mind off certain things and happily opened her mouth to continue with it. Then she sensed Bashamon, who had spent four years and some months completely alone save for with enemies as visitors.

"The lovely young couple returns," the strange yōkai commented, making Kagome flush an undoubtedly deep scarlet as she frowned for wherever the freaky, chest grabbing man was. She felt her hand begin to sink through the barrier, and something felt horribly wrong and she yanked her hand away and out of Sesshomaru's grasp.

"I had thought that even newbies would be accustomed to barriers," Bashamon commented from some distance as she stumbled back and landed on her rump. She stared forward as footsteps drew closer.

"Get up," Sesshomaru ordered. She shook her head, her long bangs flopping. "Do I need to drag you through the barrier?"

"Don't you feel that!?" she asked, probably looking like a blind person as she looked for his voice but not focusing on him. There was something wrong again, like last time, only now it was far more urgent.

"No," he replied. "And do not unleash your energy over it. Doing so can disrupt the cave."

"I'm sure..." she replied.

A second passed, and her skin still prickled.

"Bashamon is no longer in the small area, he left through the wall," Sesshomaru offered. "Care to stand now?"

She shook her head, and tried to resist being lifted to her feet. That was like trying to swim up the rapids though.

"Sesshomaru, please!" she yelled, her hands shaking in his grip as he pulled her forward. "There's something dangerous here! Trust me, I have a very acute sixth sense!" She shivered when she went through the barrier, and she froze to count seconds.

"There is nothing here that can possibly hurt you," Sesshomaru replied, loosening his grip. One. "Even if there was, you would remain safe."

Two. She almost felt comforted, but as her labored breathing began to echo she became even more afraid. Three. "Sesshomaru, I just-"

Four.

She crossed her arms over her eyes.

There was a brilliant flash, even through her fingers, heat, and a force so strong that it blew Kagome off her feet and into the wall. The sudden noise had deafened her in an instant, and she instinctively raised a barrier around herself before anything could attack her already burnt self. She opened her eyes. There was another flash, imprinting the image of a crumpling ceiling and floor into her mind, Sesshomaru catching himself on a far wall, and she was hit by the rapid expansion of air again. There was darkness, the bright image glowing in inverted colors in her sights still. She fell forward as her collision with the wall reached its max and let her go. There was another flash, showing rocks the size of heads and larger rain mercilessly down onto anything below. There was a strange and tailed figure in the dark, in mid leap, and Sesshomaru didn't see it. There was darkness, and another slight shock wave smacked Kagome again. She expected a hard landing on the floor, but there wasn't a floor. Another flash showed she was facing down. There were odd shell-like portions of rock, falling for a landing that was impossibly far away yet too close for comfort. There was also a dark glint, showing that stake she had to hold the last time as it was falling amongst everything. Then the place went dark again, air hitting her relentlessly as it passed through her barrier. She spun, falling, and although she knew she was screaming she couldn't hear it. Everything was silent, and she couldn't see. She was left to guess when she would collide with the ground which would take her life.

When she presumed she was about twenty feet away, something lurched and she was pressed into warm fabric.

Kagome blinked her eyes open to wince, and realized quickly that she was not falling. Her entire front hurt though from burns and the landing, which she didn't remember, and what she had landed on was certainly not rock. It was softer than that, and warm. She moved her hand across the odd surface, not able to feel properly, and wondered why something was beating steadily against her hear.

... Oh, shit...

She pushed herself up onto her arms, feeling a few ribs crack painfully into place, and something heavy slid from her upper back to above her buttocks.

"Oh..." she whimpered, horrified as she felt at what, or who, was under her. She noted her burnt lips split painfully while using them, making her taste blood, but she overlooked it. "Shit!" Why wasn't he moving? Why was his armor gone?

She was breathing irregularly, scared, as her hands quickly felt in the dark. There was his chest, and his shoulder, and her sore fingers stroked up his neck, a vein pulsing regularly beneath her touch. He was at a normal temperature, which relieved her in some regard, but he didn't react to her. She stroked past his jaw bone, pinkie catching his left ear momentarily, and gently felt his eye. It was closed, and didn't twitch from her gentle probing. She could hear him breathing too, so he certainly wasn't dead. Not that she ever thought he was... ... Hopefully not.

"Hey," she began, smacking his left cheek lightly. If he wasn't facing away, then she'd have slapped both his cheeks. "Get up."

He didn't hit her back, which was both good and bad. She licked her cracked lips, which stung horribly.

"Hey," she tried again, hitting the side of his face three times in a row with quick slaps. "Wake up!"

He still didn't reply.

She began to worry, since the very thought of him being rendered unconscious from the impact was nigh unthinkable, and began to search him for injuries. She remembered once before him being unconscious, propped up in a corner at the bottom of the well with her. He had been bleeding a lot, and because of that he lost energy. Plus he had mentioned something about poison. Her hands felt around his chest again, which revealed nothing save for how built he was. She went to his sides, his shoulders, his shoulder blades, down his arms, and finally moved a hand next to his hip to lift herself off of him.

Her hand hit something cold, wet, and sticky.

"Ew," she immediately said, bringing her fingers up to smell what it was and accidentally touching her nose. It smelled like blood. Well, so did her lips, but the lack of a different odor made her certain as to what it was.

...

_She_ wasn't bleeding... Well, not enough for a stream.

She quickly got off of him, and discovered that she had a broken ankle. She pushed the pain away though, she couldn't think about herself when he could bleed to death. Once she was to his side, nestled between some short stalagmites, she worked a hand under his back, and didn't have to look too long to find something. There was a cut in his haori, long and drenched, right across his lower back like the slice of a blade, and feeling upwards she would have gagged if she wasn't too afraid to do so.

"Oh, kami," she began, the side of her hand hitting something hard sticking into his back. "No..." She continued past it, and felt another. "No...!" She quickly checked the back of his head and neck, and was relieved that the ground had been clear there.

She carefully got to his other side, groped the earth, and when she was sure that there was a decent clearing save for a very large stalagmite she felt around the floor and found him again. She needed to move him, right? She needed to move him so he could heal himself, especially any pierced arteries since something was currently lodged under or even in his heart. Right. She was right. Still...

Her hands were on his left side, ready to roll him over, and she realized how dumb that was since she had no idea how long those damnable rock formations were.

"Sesshomaru," she tried again, patting his face rather hard now. "Sesshomaru, wake up!!"

There was an evil chuckle, and Kagome looked over to see- ... Well, nothing. It was Bashamon though, and he sounded just five feet away. She was shocked that she hadn't noticed him.

"What to do, what to do," the thing commented, enjoying this.

She became infuriated, and her energy coiled around her to light the area in an almost electric blue glow.

The evil yōkai was standing at the edge of the small stake's barrier, watching them. His eyes were focused on her, and she was alarmed by how hungry they looked. He was held behind that same barrier, and in its center lay the dark stake which looked like polished black stone. Apparently, wherever the stake went he followed, and Kagome wanted the thing gone.

"I would not do that if I were you," Bashamon warned when she lifted a rock and aimed.

"Fuck you," she told him, throwing and hitting the stake. It went with a wild clatter, making the madman roll away in his barrier like a spider trying to avoid the lip of the glass it was under, and then the clatter stopped and Kagome listened. Was there a ledge??

She heard an almost muted splash, and listening one could discover a rumbling river.

But that wasn't important.

"Okay," she told herself, clenching her hands repeatedly. "Okay. Okay, I can do this. I can do this, because I have to." She could see Sesshomaru now, her energy bathing him in a soft glow. His expression was so... Natural. His brow and eyes were completely relaxed, his lips parted to reveal teeth and then some, his chest actually moving with every breath... He almost looked human, and that terrified her. This was a being who was never supposed to be weak, and here he was, bleeding a small steam where her hand had been at his side. The sight completely freaked her out. "Okay... I'm ready, let's do this..."

She put her hands under this back again, which was somewhat difficult because of how absurdly heavy he truly was, and kept burying deeper until her forearms held him by his shoulder blades and lower back. She came to terms with the fact that she would need to put some energy into this to make sure she only had to lift him up once.

"Okay," she began again, shaking but determined. She really didn't want to hurt him, but... "On three... One... Two..." She winced, and lifted as strongly and quickly as she could.

There was a strangled growl of pain and shock, and Kagome pulled Sesshomaru to herself so he wouldn't go falling back down. She was knocked back from a kneeling position to her rump, her left arm flinging back to catch herself whereas her right held him tightly, and thusly she had a suddenly conscious yōkai's face in her chest.

...

...

Once she got over the agony of going from her knees to her bottom with a broken ankle she glanced down, blushed furiously, and loosened her grip so he could lay in her lap instead of in her cleavage. Sure, she was well covered, it was the principle of the matter that counted though. "Are you alright?" she asked, not wanting to guess why his eyes were still somewhat wide and staring. She glanced away to think of other things... Did dislodging him have to hurt enough to yank him into consciousness? "Um, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't leave you there..."

She was shocked when his hand reached up and cupped under her chin, his thumb rubbing slightly over her cut lips. It hurt, and she pulled back quickly. Why did he-? Oh, right, she was still burnt, and she felt something flake away from her cracked skin. It was probably dried blood. Damn flashing lights.

Kagome flinched, seeing how persistent he was when he pushed himself up to get the leverage to reach for her face again. The worse part about this was the worry shivering slightly in the background of his sights.

"S-stop that!" she yelled, her supporting arm moving to try and get him away from her. Then again, it _had_ been supporting her, so she found herself grabbing his wrist and pulling as her body weight happily obeyed gravity and sent her to her back.

She was absolutely shocked at how much he didn't care about her personal space when he followed her fall and leaned over her.

"You are hurt," he informed her.

"I know that," she told the face which was less than a foot from hers, her arms uselessly up over her fanned out hair. It was quite the Kodak moment, and it made her mouth dry. "So are you."

"I can deal with it," he said, verbally brushing the fact away. He began feeling at the various burns on her face where her arms had failed to shield from the flashing heat. The contact stung, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome. "Hold still."

Kagome flinched when the fierce and hot waves of his power washed over her face, lapping at the burns and cuts. It felt strange, yet good at the same time. It was the type of good that you needed to relax into and close your eyes for, but she opened them slightly when he brushed her bangs to the side, apparently searching for more injuries. She stared at him, fascinated by this odd expression he bore and how it made her want to reach out and hug him. He was still bent over her, his right arm up against the left side of her torso as a brace. Every breath she took made her upper abdomen press into his side, and she found herself taking very deep and slow breaths.

"Where else are you injured?" he asked, staring down at her, completely unabashed.

She opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, swallowed, thought to herself how good his energy felt, and answered. "Just my limbs." She sounded far more calm than she felt. This position reminded her of how a few of her favorite dreams started. "And, my ankle. I think it's broken."

He didn't need to look away from her to focus his energy to those places, making her groan briefly. It was like a massage, just without contact. Kami, why did it feel so good? She was _hurt_ there, and it was yōkai energy, it just didn't make any sense!

Her face was feeling immensely better, and the more her skin returned to normal across her chin and lips the more his energy receded from those spots. She regretted for half an instant when it fully left, now coursing across the burns in her limbs and, oddly enough, to her collar. His warm fingers brushed her cheek, and this time his thumb passed over smooth, unbroken lips, as though making sure they were fine.

Her throat pulsed, and a tingling heat coiled all around her groin. It felt odd yet delightful, and made her sigh.

She watched as Sesshomaru's expression dulled ever so slightly, as though his mind was on something else, and it reminded her of the time in the guest bedroom...

The faster her heart beat, the more she needed to breathe, until it was labored enough to make her part her lips. Her body shifted, uncomfortable, and his chest turned fractionally so that her movements brushed across him.

He... Did he just do that? She took in a choppy inhale, the air coming out again past her lips more heated than usual, and her eyes widened slightly. Was he responding to her? ... He had the most captivating eyes... She felt like the heat of his stare was making her melt, and a voice very deeply hidden in her muddled head was telling her that it was alarmed. Her body wanted to kicked that voice out onto the streets, but her mind was supporting it.

She opened her mouth further to disturb the heavy ambiance, but all that came out was a far too feminine sigh as he slowly began to lean in closer, his chest warm and heavy on top of hers, holding her down securely. It was nice...

It all seemed too slow for her to not have reacted to. She could feel his domineering weight with every shallow breath, the individual pulses of her heart which made her whole body throb, his equally hot breath caressing her skin for how close he was. Still, she stared at him, into those golden orbs which glistened with her glowing energy yet dulled with an emotion she couldn't figure out. She watched through lazy lids until her eyes couldn't focus anymore, and a moment later she surrendered her sight and felt the tickling brush of his lips against hers.

It was soft and barely there before it was gone, and if she wasn't so lost in herself she would have been shocked at how her hands deftly found the sides of his face and pulled him back down.

Her whole body shivered so hard that it almost hurt, fading quickly to a blissfully hot aftershock as their mouths collided. She sighed heavily through her nose next to his own, his lips motionless against hers. She moaned when they moved, making her nerves fire off far too quickly to be healthy in every square inch of her being.

'Oh... Kami...' she thought to herself, her mouth responding and her head tilting slightly. A breath escaped him in a very low rumble of a growl, summoning a shiver to course powerfully up her spine. She moaned in a wanting manner to Sesshomaru when she felt his right hand slowly slide under her upper back, his left stroking up her cheek and then down to the back of her head, his body leaning urgently in to hers. After so many years of just dreaming of this... Her skin felt like it couldn't get enough blood, tingling with a need to be touched, and her still healing hands knew no shame. Her left brushed past his ear, the silken strands of his hair parting willingly to her touch, and her right felt down his neck to the messy V of his clothing, feeling his heart racing beneath his far too hot skin.

It was an amazing feeling to know an eternity in the course of ten seconds, and it was interrupted by the both of them.

He pulled back slightly, as though just now registering what had been happening, and she opened her eyes again. This wasn't a dream, nor a fantasy. It was far better than either could ever be, because he was there. He was really there, and they had just kissed...

She blushed, and he pulled further back so they could focus on one another's faces. She decided to remove her fingers from his hair as his own hands drew themselves back, but kept her right palm on his chest. It made her feel better that she had a say on whether or not they continued, holding him back.

She smiled. That was, by far, one of the best experiences of her life, but it was enough for now. She didn't want to take things any further, despite how great a possibility it was, and she was more than certain that he didn't want to be attempting heirs soon.

... Which was quite the shocking thought, and she looked up at the inugami daiyōkai in an altered light. He could be a father one day...

It was obvious he was willing to continue where they left off, his fingers twitching on her upper arm and side, but she knew he couldn't. What they were, when they were, why they were... It was all too different, too clashing, and they both had their own lives to remain in. She had thought of the forbidden what-ifs far too many times to not know all the reasons why them being intimate at all was ludicrous, no matter how pleasing it seemed. Wanting the pleasure of someone's company was one thing, but to lose control during such a moment was another thing. Besides, it's not like she brought rubbers with her... ... Not that she would allow things to go that far... She thought... It would probably be very fun to do outside of her imagination, but there was too big a risk with it.

She shifted, and noticed that everything but her bones were fully mended.

He breathed heavily through his nose, and lifted himself off her. She took a deep breath, finally able to, and for some reason couldn't keep a smile off her face. He _definitely_ responded to her. Weren't they just fighting?

"Well," she began, needing to disrupt the uncertain air around them, "that was fun..."

He smirked, and sat up a few feet away, cross-legged. Yeah, it was just a kiss... People kissed all the time.

She lay there for a few more seconds, willing her body to want to obey her thoughts rather than their desires, and finally summoned the strength to move. She sat across from him, and felt oddly light. Not light headed, or out of breath. Just, light. Like a weight was taken off her conscious. It made her feel very good, no matter how much a small voice in her said that what had just happened was a fling. A whim driven by two people in their sexual prime. Things like this happened, and only idiots took them too seriously.

Still, she now had fantastic material to go to sleep to for the rest of her life... Her mind began to wander onto how the next half hour would have been if they both hadn't needed to breathe at the same time. ... Oye, such thoughts were not good for her. She was far too prepared and too willing to think such things near Sesshomaru. Not now. Later would be good, but not now.

She sensed his energy had moved to his own injuries as well, and glancing up she noted that he sat perfectly still and kept his eyes closed. Apparently, he had some thinking to do. She couldn't help but think that he looked like he was meditating, it was so cute.

She hummed to herself, and glancing backwards revealed that mighty stalagmite not five inches away. She scooted and reclined into its bumpy slope, her arms crossed under her breasts and knees drawn upwards. She wondered how anyone in the slayer's village would take to seeing what had just happened. Even she was still shocked, yet elated.

Did he, the cold Lord of the Western Lands, like her? Or was he being a typical guy? Guys loved kissing, it meant the fist base was covered.

She hoped for the prior, but felt it was merely the latter. If he did like her, she would have noticed by now, right? Unless, he liked her and didn't want to, which would explain both his irritability and his freedom to laugh around her. The only question she didn't have to answer right now was her feelings for him, or so she thought. She'd have to sleep on it to be sure she was thinking properly.

"How's your back?" she asked after what felt like ten minutes, her energy still making her a lantern. She enjoyed the full flexibility of her right arm, the bone completely healed, and felt another ankle bone shift back into place with a pop when she moved her foot experimentally. She was completely fine.

"Mending," he replied.

"Any way I can help?" she offered. She didn't know what she could do, maybe lend some energy?

"I am fine," he told her, sounding to be comfortable with everything in life.

"Alright," she replied. ... There wasn't much to say, so she kept thinking. Maybe if she got to know him better, they'd- No, that was impossible... It was still fun to think about though. Not only did he prefer her alive, but this was his third time suggesting that they'd at least be great kissing partners. About being alive though... "By the way, thanks for catching me."

He was quiet for a moment. "Do not thank me."

She looked up at him, but he was still concentrating on himself. "Why not?"

He spared her a glance, and she wanted to shift as a grin yank at the corners of her mouth. "Because it was neither a favor nor a gift."

... Alright, she could see the odd logic in that. "Well, then accept my being grateful."

He nodded minutely, and continued with what he was doing.

Kagome sucked her lower lip between her teeth. She wondered why he was keeping his eyes closed. They were _definitely_ open while he was healing her -or, from what she saw, since she had closed her eyes for most of the experience- so why were they closed now? ... Kami, he was so odd... And for some reason, it made her smile. She liked odd people, they were usually the most interesting.

The air was cool once more, tickling her cheeks. "It's cold down here..."

He chuckled, which made her heart hop.

"What?"

"You complain about everything."

She tossed her head. "And you keep it all bottled in until it explodes onto innocent onlookers."

She couldn't help but think he had the sexiest laugh she had ever heard.

"You don't act like this at the o-shiro," she told him, cocking her head to rest it on her knees and watch him. "It's a shame."

"And why is that?" he asked of her.

She shrugged, then sighed and settled her chin on her knees instead. "You're just so closed off there. Like no one can get in, and nothing can get out. You're just... I dunno, _stagnant_, and to a human that's not natural..." She giggled. "I guess that's why they made yōkai ticklish, is to get past that cold exterior every now and then..."

"If said yōkai leaves itself open to such assaults."

She giggled again, thinking this whole circumstance to be utterly ridiculous let alone their conversation. "I have yet to tickle you in front of everyone at the o-shiro like I said I would..."

He was silent, which was the best answer she could have hoped for.

"This reminds me of four years ago," she continued, feeling content and at ease. "Well, not the cave or the blood, but just talking like this..." She sighed, looking straight ahead since there really was nothing unappealing to look at. The air really was cool and nice, now that she thought about it. "Even though we never really spoke then either..."

"Silence has a tendency to become the best conversation."

She regarded him. "Then I guess we've had some pretty good chats."

He gave a soundless chuckle, and she kept on grinning like an idiot. There was a long pause then, and she found herself listening to the very faint rumbles of the river below. That stream probably made the nearby ledge in the first place, like a great canyon.

"By the way, what happened earlier?" she asked. "Before I fell. I still don't know why everything crumbled, or why I got so burnt, or who that figure leaping at you was."

He sighed, which was more than audible from five feet away.

"The four explosions were from thunderbolt-balls," he began. "It is a type of bomb commonly used to destroy a city wall, and three had been stolen from the southern regiment not long ago."

Kagome's brow furrowed. "I guess that makes sense... How did they get them here though? I thought Sheng said that no one willing to help Bashamon could make it through the mountain after having to climb for the entrances."

"That was the situation," Sesshomaru acknowledged. "We just failed to guess how thick the walls of that room were."

Kagome's mind re-played the image of shell-like pieces of rock falling. "Were we in an ancient lava bubble or something?"

It made sense, which meant they had just fallen into an unexplored cavern. And a deep one at that.

"... Wait, they just took three? Didn't you say there were four explosions?"

"Both are correct," he replied. "One bomb was already brought here, some time before our first visit."

"... Hm..." she thought. "Is that why you smelled magnesium?"

"It was not magnesium," he replied.

It was a bomb... She supposed he felt a tad foolish for not having guessed as much sooner, so she didn't press it.

"How did you sense that there was something wrong?" Sesshomaru randomly asked her.

"... Huh?"

"Before the bombs went off."

"Oh!" she replied, quickly recycling through her thoughts. "Oh... Well, I've always been pretty keen on those sorts of things..."

...

"... You sound sad," he stated.

"Huh," she huffed, looking in the opposite direction of him. "That's because it brings up a really sad memory." There was silence, but she talked to fill it. "I was seven years old when I first experience it. My mom was having a hard time getting me into the car for a trip to the beach, not knowing why I was freaking out over 'bad feelings' since swimming was my favorite thing. I cried the whole way there, screaming that they stop the car and looking out the windows, and when my dad pulled near the sidewalk to unload I jumped out and ran as fast as I could. My mom went after me, and since my dad was in charge of driving he- He was in the car when it was hit from the side..." There was more silence, and Kagome almost felt the sting of tears. This happened a very long time ago, but it still hurt to talk about. "Another driver had lost their brakes coming downhill, and tried to turn. They hit though, and my dad died before paramedics could pry the doors open." She took a deep breath, but that didn't help. "It almost seemed like _fate_ with how the metal bars sticking up out of the walkway were so perfectly placed as to smash in the other doors as well..." She wiped her eyes. "A month later, my mom went to the hospital because of odd vomiting sessions and discovered she was two months pregnant with Sota... We moved in with my grandpa, my father's dad, to compensate for no one helping at the shrine, and to help with finances with a new baby on the way. My mom sold the small house I had grown up in while the market was bad, so we got way less money back from it than what we had paid for it. ... Anyway, this isn't important. I discovered a sense then, and have always trusted it. That's your answer."

They were both quiet for a while, and she began pondering herself again. "Why were you able to heal _me_ so quickly?"

"Skin damage and fractured bones are easier to mend than muscle," he informed.

That was odd... "Why's that?"

"It simply requires more precision," he replied. "Entertain yourself."

... She felt like Rin... Apparently he would be a while longer though, so she bottled up her energy and got herself comfortable against the cave formation and thought. If she had brought her sword or even bow, she'd be practicing, but she didn't have them and didn't feel like using her energy, so she talked to herself. Internally. Thoughts led to memories, and as video quality footage played on the wide screen of her lids she felt comfortable, and her memories shifted off the path of reality to play with her creativity.

...

... ...

"Mm?!" she squeaked, turning quickly to see whatever had touched her shoulder. There was darkness, and she instead reached out to grab it automatically.

She felt his hand, and immediately took hers away from it.

"Did I sleep?" she asked, feeling rather sore and groggy as she lifted herself off the ground. Apparently she had fallen over and found the rock rather comfortable. He must have had a good laugh at seeing that.

"For a few hours," he informed her.

"Are you kidding? Have you been healing all that time??"

She sparked up her energy just in time to see him in a kneeling position nearby and giving her a flat stare.

"Of course not," he replied, looking away and standing as she giggled once at him and his expressions. "I have been searching."

"Mm, what for?" she asked, stretching. Oh, that felt good... Bringing her arms back down hurt though, and she stood with limited grace. Sleeping on stone hurt, and she was stiff for it.

"The seal," he replied. "I cannot find it."

She was suddenly washed out with guilt, and he glanced at her.

"Um," she began. Damn that nose of his. "It landed in the river down there..."

"Shit."

Kagome flinched violently and openly gapped at him. "Did _you_ just-"

"You are contagious," he supplied. "We have to retrieve it."

"... Shit..."

"Indeed."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome demanded. "_You_ can fly down the cliff!"

He almost glared at her, reminding her that now wasn't the time to be angry since this was her fault. Mostly... It was like shattering the Jewel all over again. "It landed in a river."

"... And?"

He rolled his eyes, and she crossed her arms and huffed.

"What? Can't you swim?"

He blinked a few times. "That is not the only problem. I cannot find it by scent now."

"Oh..." she replied, thinking how very bad that was. "... Wait, does that mean-?"

She paused when her feet were suddenly swept from under her, and she quickly grabbed his left shoulder over the sudden movement. ... She loved how soft his pelt was... He interrupted her though.

"Does that mean you _can't_ swim??"

He giving an answer as he walked for something.

"Holy Buddha, you **can't**!!"

"Is that surprising?" he asked.

"YES!" she fired off, and he came to a stop. "You live on an ISLAND!! Why can't you swim?!"

He smirked. "And? You live with air, so why can you not fly?"

She held a finger up at him. "Now just one minute, that's _completely_ di-"

He stepped off the ledge, and once she calculated the fact that her hair and heart were lifting at extraordinary speeds she instantly latched around his neck and began shrieking her head off. She managed a full out 'I hate you' before he coiled enough energy for a gradual, midair landing.

She swore, her heart was using her rib cage as a drum, and it was having ample fun without her. She lifted her face and loosened her hold, and opened her mouth to scold the life out of him. His energy disappeared, and she shrieked when they began to fall again. It was, sadly enough, only about two feet.

"Stop laughing at me!" she yelled when he began to chuckle, setting her down. "Just you wait until I teach you how to swim! I'm going to tell you about SO many freaky animals that live in that water!!" Perhaps even the mythical ones...

"You wish to teach me how to swim?" he asked lightheartedly.

"Of course," she replied with a soured tone, flaring her energy back around herself. She had been so scared of falling _again_ that she lost control of it.

His figure suddenly appeared, and she caught him give a nod.

"Alright," he accepted, beginning to walk. "Then in turn, I shall teach you how to fly."

...

She waited for a heartbeat, and when it went 'ba-thump' she decided to breathe again.

"No."

He stopped walking, and turned halfway to face her. "Why not?"

She glared at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm simply petrified of heights."

He smiled, almost evilly. "That is easy to fix."

Her eyes went wide. She knew _exactly_ why it was 'easy to fix'.

"If you even _think_ about it," she warned him, marching boldly forward. "I'll..." She reached him, and lost her train of thought completely. He was smiling down at her, and she was about to blush.

"You will, what?" he asked, the hint of taunting in his voice.

... There wasn't much to do to a witty lord without having it backfire on you... She came up with something though, and said it before thinking about it.

"I will kiss you in front of your entire o-shiro," she finished, absolutely refusing to be embarrassed by it. _His_ reputation was on the line with that, not hers, and they had already kissed so it was fine now. ... Right? "And you will enjoy it."

... For some reason, he seemed to not care about his reputation that much, considering the remaining smile on his face.

Damn... She had utterly failed... He was suppose to be threatened, not pleased, or happy, or even looking forward to it. ... ... Was he looking forward to it??

"Where's that damn stake?" she demanded, needing to change the subject. He knew how to push her buttons, in a way that was far too playful to be considered fair. Truthfully, she actually enjoyed this, because she was capable of looking forward to such a thing too. She was still human, after all. But she was not going to be the first to admit it, because to do that would open herself to far too much.

She looked at him with a fixed frown, and it wavered greatly at the remaining hit of a smile to his lips. He was too happy... He was never happy though, so... _Did_ he like her? She blushed furiously, and began to follow the riverbed.

"Well, we can at least start moving... We should sense the barrier, the stream can't be that deep."

She heard him begin to walk after her, and she couldn't get a grin off her face. Maybe living at his place for another week wouldn't be so bad...

* * *

**A/N:** Seriously, I had no idea that was coming either. This is something like my internal dialog now:

Muse: "Haha!! They have _KISSED_!!" -does a grand victory dance- "I am SO good!"

Logic: --; "Yeah, but wasn't it rather abrupt? I don't want to seem out of character..."

Muse: "SO?? It's still exciting?! You care too much. Come on, let's post it and get your hesitation over with!"

Logic: "I want to re-read it though..."

Muse: "You always re-read it. If you had it your way, updates would take weeks. Come on, the reviews will tell you what was wrong and you can sort things out in the next chapter. Now POST it!"

Logic: "..."

Muse: "... We can make her eat brownies after this to make you feel better."

Logic: "Okay. Post it."

Me: "... I'm outvoted on this, aren't I...?"

Muse: "Two to one! Post it, and then you can eat."

Me: "But, there are no brownies here..."

Muse: "Cake?"

Me: "Nope."

Muse: "... Cookies??"

Me: "No."

Muse: O.O "What is _wrong_ with you?! Get baking!! Post this first though, and then you may don thyn kitchen wench apron."

(Feels very random for writing that)

You can tell who wears the pants in that mental relationship. Also, it makes my muse smile and laugh insanely thinking what kind of reviews a few of those scenes will bring in.

I don't know if anyone would be interested, but for the majority of this chapter I was listening to the song Praan by Garry Schyman, which is wonderfully used in a video on YouTube called 'Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)'. I love that video, it's so inspirational to me. Then I showed it to my friend, and she scoffed and said 'whatever floats your boat...'. I slugged her, right in the pressure point in the side of the arm where your deltoid tappers off to the triceps. That one left her whining for hours. If _anyone_ makes you mad punch your knuckles right there on them, it hurts like hell. :D Even pushing for a few seconds and letting go leaves an odd sting. Go ahead, try it. If it doesn't sting for an annoying two minutes, you didn't get the right spot. That, or you handle yourself with great care...

...

-giggles- I wonder how many people actually did it... If you _did_, wait eight hours, then press that spot again. Sometimes, it will still be sore. ... And yes, I know, that was also completely random and highly unnecessary to talk about. :P Ugh, I'm in that mood...

Another thing that just crept into my mind, is it just me or is this summer REALLY hot?? I personally can't complain too much, I live on top of a mountain, but even here temperatures are way higher than normal. I've been taking cat naps in the middle of the day just to stay sane (since my legs are too long to lay comfortably in a bathtub with ice). Oh, that sounds SO good right now... ... I wonder what people will think of these comments a year after this chapter is posted...

...

Alright, I'll stop scaring you now. Thanks for reading! Review, please!


	11. Finding Contentment

**A/N:** Hello! I've finally updated! Sorry, but I had gotten some bad writer's block. I started a different story just to try and get my mind kicked into action, and I may update it in the future.

Anyway, a lot of people have commented on how hilarious it is that Sesshomaru can't swim because he's an inu yōkai and therefor should know how. Well, just to put it out there, if you meet an adult dog who's never been in anything deeper than a kiddy pool and throw it in the water, it'll barely stay afloat in one spot and move sloppily for something to cling to. Dogs do _not_ have an innate knowledge of how to swim, it's actually the opposite, and it's quite entertaining to watch a newbie do it because it looks like their butts have thirty pounds of weight in them. They just hang downwards and their little paws paddle at the water uselessly with their noses sticking desperately out. And I've raised too many dogs to pity them over that stage of life, it's just funny now. I do pity people who can't swim though, such as a friend of mine. He could float and paddle along the surface, but he can't dive down three feet to save his life. It was quite entertaining, because I got to watch him from the bottom of a nine foot pool and he kept commenting that he thought I had drowned (which I exploited later on)

Alright, time to get to what everyone's here for:

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Finding Contentment**

They had been walking along for about an hour, clambering over rocks and bending under ridges, until they reached a rude cliff where their seven foot wide stream was turned into a misty waterfall.

"Damn it!" Kagome yelled, stomping her feet. She couldn't even hear the water landing, which was less than promising. "How deep IS this place?!"

"This part is not too deep," Sesshomaru commented, leaning slightly to peer over the edge.

She pouted, mostly because she felt like it. "I wish I could see in the dark."

"How much can you see without your energy?" he asked her.

She snorted. "I can't even see my own nose, and_ with _my energy it's only about eight feet.It's completely pitch black in here, like a great blindfold, and sight is the one sense humans rely on most."

"You have not figured out yet how to maximize your senses?"

She looked at him, partially shocked and partially pissed that he didn't mention it sooner. "... I can?"

"M-hm," he replied. "Would you rather climb down the cliff or free fall again?"

Her heart jumped, and although she wished that she could say 'I'll wait for you here' she knew that wasn't an option. So she bottled her energy to let the darkness swallow her and held out her arms like some toddler wanting 'up'. She didn't scream this time, although she _really_ wanted to. In exchange, she gave Sesshomaru a death grip the entire way down, though knowing him he barely felt it. This fall was twice as far as the last one, which should have been impossible. She was actually getting used to the feeling of plummeting by the time they stopped, and when he let her down her legs were shaking.

"You truly hate falling," Sesshomaru commented.

"No shit," she replied, wiping the slight excess of water from her eyes and trying to calm her nerves. "It's the most uncomfortable feeling in the world, and one no human is supposed to survive. And what the hell is your limit on 'too deep'?! That was a LONG fall! I bet that fifty foot pines would have looked like toothpicks from the top of that!"

He chuckled as she summoned her luminous energy again, rubbing her arms. It was even _colder_ down here, and it was snowing. ...

"It's not funny," she snipped, watching small falling crystals waft in and out of her sight. Looking down, she automatically assumed she was standing on snow, but it crunched with every step. This waterfall was raining ice?? She began walking away from the odd mist, holding herself. It was _really_ cold down there, which made the ice bit make some sense. It was still bizarre though. And here she thought the earth was always warmer than the air. "I guess to put it in terms you'd understand, it's like getting your throat slit, arteries and windpipe and all, and you're left to wonder if you can heal in time."

He nodded. "That I can understand."

The snow stuff stopped falling the further they got from the waterfall, and since their stream had narrowed to a mere four feet Kagome was left to assume that the waterfall was so high that half the water became crystallized vapor as it cascaded. The stream down here was more calm, but still had a decent current. Kagome's mind wandered, and she decided that she was too curious for her own good.

"How long would you have if your throat _was_ slit?" She glanced at him a tad hesitantly, and pulled her hands from her sleeves and into the air in an innocent fashion when he gave her a suspicious look. "I'm just wondering! Go ahead and smell me, I'm not planning on anything! I'm not a yōkai, I'd personally be more than dead within half a minute, so I was wondering how long an actual yōkai would last. Besides, you've already been stabbed there and did just fine, like hell I'd ever try it!"

He watched her, and she watched back to see if that stoic eyebrow would lift at her again, then he shook his head. "Humans are peculiar beings."

She was silent, thinking he'd answer if he wanted to, and huddled in on herself once more. Damn, did the waterfall cool this place down?? Oh, it was giving her goosebumps even without the breeze! Then again her hair had gotten damp from the mist.

"... It would depend on one's physical state and inherited power," he began. "If it happened to a powerful yōkai without intoxication, then death would come within half an hour."

She stared at him. "... Wow... Is that with or without healing?"

"With," he replied. "With very bad healing... Without, which is usually the case if the mind has been addled, then less than five minutes."

Kagome was rubbing her neck. "Not a pleasant topic... At least you have more time. I hear some humans have survived having a slit throat, but the attacker probably had bad aim or didn't do it too deeply. Then there's hospital help to take into calculation."

"Hm," he hummed, thinking. "Is that a common act among humans?"

"... What, killing?" she asked. "I'm not too sure. Not really, no. Most deaths are from disease, age, or accidents, and probably in that order, too. But, there are some people sometimes..."

She paused, not really wanting to think about it.

"And that is why you dislike walking alone at night?"

She quirked her face at him, then remembered that the pompous lord had indeed carried groceries before. "Oh... Yeah, that's one of them. Some people don't mind dragging a dead body away to have 'fun' with it until sunrise..."

She couldn't really see it, but Kagome knew that somewhere inside Sesshomaru was gagging at the thought.

They decided to entertain themselves with talk of various ways of dying and comparing and contrasting humans to yōkai when it came to endurance. The next subject was beheading, which had specific conditions, then it went to heart attacks, internal bleeding, removal of limbs, and by the end of it Sesshomaru seemed entertained by Kagome's green face.

"Humans die so easily," he commented.

"Yōkai require precision to take down," she countered, which wasn't actually an insult. "Unless, of course, you're spiritually well endowed."

"Hn," he chuckled once. They continued on in relative silence, walking side by side so Kagome could keep an eye on him.

"So, what happened to your armor?" What could she say, she enjoyed exploiting the usage of her voice.

"It became useless," he stated.

"... Why's that?" she asked when he didn't feel it was necessary to continue.

"It is broken," he replied nonchalantly, sounding like he was telling her about the stock market. "You had mentioned seeing a figure earlier. I had to dispatch it, but not before it made the first move."

Kagome snorted, despite the memory of touching that long cut in the small of his back. Was that the attack? "It? You're so impersonal that it's almost hilarious."

Sesshomaru thought on this a moment. "Impersonal. When one is devoid of human emotions, characteristics, and traits; or when one is detached from unnecessary connections with others."

Kagome stared at him. "... Wow, it's perfect..." She let out a laugh then. "Your name should be in the thesaurus for that word..."

He laughed with her, briefly. "That would be interesting."

"Are you kidding??" she asked, smiling. "That would either be a great feat, or a great joke! And you'd have to go down in history books just so people could read about the great impersonal person!"

The tunnel had to bear with the echoes of their mirth, and despite being in the great bowels of a cave she was really enjoying herself. ... "Hey, Sesshomaru. Do you think you'll change back to your withdrawn state when we get back to the o-shiro?"

"Yes."

He didn't even have to think about it... "Why?"

"Does a Lord need to give reasons for his actions?"

She scoffed at him. "'Lord' my ass, you're bodily still a teenager." He glanced at her, and she smirked. "Technically, I'm older than you!" she told him with a quirked grin.

He smiled. "Not many women would admit that."

Said grin vanished. He was good... "Well, not to a love interest. To a friend, yes."

"And you consider me to be your friend?" he asked skeptically.

"That depends," she replied slowly, weighing her choice words. "Are you my enemy?"

He didn't answer.

"It's a rather simple question," she commented. "Either you are, or you're not."

"I can figure as much out," he replied, thinking. "I am not your enemy."

She smiled. "Then you're my friend."

He glanced at her.

Her expression became a tad sarcastic. "Or, to be technical, a friend who I can barely tolerate and with whom I have a battle to finish."

He averted his gaze for the path ahead. "That is a very black and white outlook on things."

She shrugged. "I guess I'm too trusting, then."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Heh," she began. "In other words, there's not much gray zone to determine friends from enemies for me." He still looked confused. "It's a very either/or thing. Unlike my levels of friendship, there's a lot of gray there."

His brow knitted. "How so?"

"Oye," she groaned. Yōkai... "It depends on how well I know someone, then on how I feel about them." He was silent, so she took that as an invitation to continue. "Like, there's an obvious difference between an acquaintance and a best friend, but there's always a bit of gray in the transition, and sometimes that gray can be an odd thing to work out."

He nodded. "Such as the gray between a friendly acquaintance and a romantic interest."

"Exactly," she replied. She went silent then, and found staring straight ahead to be _quite_ interesting. It was just an example... Just a very bad example... Bad timing, too. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be a lord?"

He frowned.

She shrugged. "You began talking about romantic interests, and so far I haven't seen you courting any inu."

"There has been no arranged marriage," he replied.

Now she was confused. "... Are arranged marriages common?"

"Very."

"... And you need one to court someone?"

"No," he answered, shrugging. "It is merely a good way to prompt such an action."

"Enjoying the bachelor life?" she asked with a fat grin on her face.

"The what?"

"The bachelor life," she repeated before taking into account that there was no way he didn't hear her the first time. "Oh, kami... Um... It's the phase between fleeing from your parents and getting married. You know, when you're single and out living your own life."

"..."

"... You didn't really experience that, did you..." she stated more than asked.

"Not really," he admitted. "Inheritance can be a burden."

For some reason Tenseiga jostled slightly at Sesshomaru's hip, and although that seemed odd to her the inugami daiyōkai appeared to block it out like it were second nature.

"That must have sucked," she commented, minding what was underfoot. There were a lot of rocks in this present area. "To go jumping into your dad's shoes with the whole lordship thing."

He didn't reply.

"... Hm." She stepped high up onto an excessively large rock, walked three paces to its other end and hopped to the next. It jostled dangerously, and she flung her arms out to assume some funky position which would automatically grant her some form of balance. So, with her left arm down with sprawled fingers, her right arm up in a fist, her back bent, and left foot held up, she glanced sideways to see Sesshomaru staring with utter fascination at the position she could take, both eyebrows up and trying not to smile. "Hey, at least it works," she defended herself, defiantly standing straight up and planting her fist on her hips. The rock shifted, naturally, deep down she must have known it would, and she fell backwards.

She looked at her outstretched hand, which was clasped in a different hand, and then up to see Sesshomaru holding her from the frigid waters not too far below.

"You invite trouble to yourself, do you not?" he asked wryly, pulling her up. The rock shifted, and although he seemed attached to it as securely as a barnacle she went flying forward and into his chest.

"..." She was blushing like mad. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Your expression did."

"Oh, come on!" she yelled, maneuvering away from yet close to him to not jostle the rock any further and jumping off it. "That's not fair, I'm not in control of my stronger expressions!"

"Nor of your mouth, at times."

She glared over her shoulder, and he was grinning. Kami, he was being cute. This was not fair at ALL.

"Better than having the nickname Ice Queen," was her retort, the rocks big enough to begin running across to get leaping starts for the next ones.

"My emotional withdraw is from training, not from simplemindedness," he defended, very easily keeping up.

"Yeah, well," she began, taking measured breaths as she ran, "you should consider, lowering your emotional walls, to people who wish to know you."

"Is that a suggestion or a request?"

... Okay, he caught that one. "Both."

"You wish to know me?"

"Merely to a better degree, than I do now," she replied. Damn her needing to breathe differently while running!

"Not many know me that well," he commented. "If you want to know me, you have to be with me. That is all."

Kami, he was so straightforward sometimes. "If you weren't a stringent ass, then people would stick by your side."

"I do not need people at my side. They are inconvenient."

"You would rather have them, at your command then?" she asked, jumping to her height limit and landing a tad hard and awkwardly for it. She had to begin again from a crouched position, which was like expecting a runner to stop halfway and get back down to the metal starting brace.

"Things are considerably easier like that."

"Well, yeah, because they have to obey, not respect."

"How do you mean?" he inquired, sounding a tad confused.

"Oye," she breathed, not having the air for a long explanation now. "In a minute. How much further?"

Two minutes of running later, they bypassed the rocks and landed near the stream, where she insisted on sitting for a minute. He didn't complain like Inuyasha would have over the break, and it was truly silly to think that he would.

"What I meant is," she started her explanation, "that obeying someone does not always mean you respect them for their status or doings; although I'm sure you know that. Plenty of great rulers in the future will fall because of it. ... What year is it, 1502? Shit, I don't want to be here for Hitler... Of course that's a while off from now..."

Sesshomaru seemed to want to break her trend of thought. "Do you doubt my ability to rule?"

She looked up at him. He wasn't offended, but he was definitely going to ask something like that.

"No," she replied. "I just question your manner of doing it. Everyone has their own way of doing it though, so I guess it's rather rude of me to second guess that. By the way, if you want to be entertained for the next five hundred years, I can make a pretty good hit list for your assassination delights."

"History is not something to tamper with," he commented.

"True," she replied. So he knew the frail workings of time, did he? "But some of it is better changed than lived."

She stood and they began to walk again. "Hey, Sesshomaru. Is the well by Kaede's village?"

"No. It has been moved to Edo, some distance from the castle Bashamon had Ōta Dōkan build."

"The Tokyo Imperial Palace??" Kagome asked, stunned out of her original question. "Holy crap, it's not that old yet! ... Which means it's not destroyed at all!" She felt Sesshomaru studying her, and glanced at him. "Yes?"

He smirked, and looked away. "Your reaction."

"What about it?"

"You want to see the castle."

She blushed. He was rather perceptive for a jerk. A sexy jerk... "Well, yeah. I will before using the well again. Most of that place gets demolished by fires and wars, and in my time it's mostly ruins and the Palace was built on the grounds in its stead."

"You wish to go home?"

... He cared more about her going home than the wars on the capital...? Odd man... "It's where I belong," she told him. But he knew that. "It's not like..." A rude overview of pleasing memories with him flashed before her eyes, and had her suppressing a blush. "Well, not like I have a whole lot going for me in this time. I have friends here, but my actual life is in the future. The thing that kept me here before was my responsibility to the Jewel, and since it's with me forever now all I have is a responsibility to myself. I'm free again, and I can return to my own life."

He nodded. "Your sole reasons for coming back were to reacquaint yourself with friends and to reclaim the Shikon?"

"Yeah," she replied. Well, that was the gist of it. "My friends... They've all changed so much, and I guess I have too in some ways... You don't notice your own changes too easily. I was shocked when Inuyasha commented on my hair being so long." She twiddled a lock of her bangs to amuse herself, and giggled with the next thought to hit her mind. "It's funny, how I came here to be with friends, and yet I get stuck here instead. I have your little council to thank for that one. It's as though they see my presence promising for entertainment or something, and now Sheng has be bonding with everyone else in the o-shiro by turning me into a soccer coach."

"Is he?"

"You haven't heard?" Kagome asked. "Oh, kami, it's so annoying! I mean, it gives me something to do during the day, and the children there are so unforgivably adorable with their random puppy ears. ... And I've been meaning to ask, why do some have pointed ears like yours and some don't?"

He smirked, probably over her ignorance. "It is a sign of their heritage. Less powerful demons are more likely to show inu traits like a hanyō."

Kagome couldn't suppress a giggle. "I love their fluffy ears, they're so damn cute. Inuyasha doesn't know this, but when I first saw him pinned to the tree I just had to go up and quirk his ears. He'd probably be annoyed."

She was expecting sarcasm, and looking out of the corner of her eye she caught a warm smirk before he could hide it. "You're enjoying my reactions to things of late."

He shrugged. "You are admittedly unique for this era."

"Damn straight!" she replied, suddenly feeling boisterous. "I'm proud of it, too!" There was a pause, and then Kagome remembered her question. "Oh! Right, why was the well moved?"

"Bashamon figured that it would make a good trophy," Sesshomaru replied. "He failed to notice its capabilities though, and in having it re-built in a guarded shrine he had given me access back to my time." Well, that answered a few things... Five hundred years form Kagome's time, Edo was already a fairly big city ruled by lord samurai. "The well has been functioning irregularly though, hence our inabilities to use it."

"Oh," Kagome perked up. "That's because of the Goshinboku tree!"

Sesshomaru had that 'are you insane?' expression now.

"It's true!" she defended herself, so wrapped up that she tripped over a pebble. Righting herself, she continued. "Don't you know of it? It's also called the God Tree and the Tree of Ages!"

"Perhaps in the future it is," he replied. "These days, it is mostly a tree."

Well, Kagome knew people who knew of it, but she supposed not many yōkai would familiarize themselves with it. For all she knew, it was a protected secret.

"Well," she persisted, not discouraged, "back to what I was getting at. The Bone Eaters Well is made from the chopped limbs of that tree, and the actual tree is what gives it its power. ... Gee, no wonder it took four years to work again, that's a long commute for energy..."

"Do they ever say why such a well was created?"

"... You know, that is a _very_ good question... Maybe by a miko or a monk? I've seen a tree grown by Kikyo before, fresh from a mere branch. Maybe someone made the tree and told them to make a well from it to help with a yōkai problem..."

"They were probably mere demons," Sesshomaru suggested. "Any mythical being persistent to bother an unimportant village must not have the brains to be considered yōkai."

"Is that the defining difference then?" Kagome asked. She had certainly seen a lot of demons, and heard Sango call them such, but was there a specific classification that not many humans knew of?

"It is a very valid one," he replied. "We are getting closer."

She found herself wondering what the hell he was talking about, then recalled the reason why they were walking all that way in the first place. It certainly wasn't to chat.

Their tunnel suddenly widened exponentially, which it had done irregularly on the way there, but this room was not filled with the sound of running water.

"What's in here?" she asked, the tunnel of the wall now gone and leaving her with only a floor. That eight foot visibility limit was certainly annoying.

"It is a lake."

"... **What**??" That had to be a joke. She wouldn't be surprised if that lake was thirty feet deep and two degrees above freezing! Sesshomaru walked ahead, and she followed. Something crunched under her foot, and when she looked down to see a plate of flat ice she jumped back and looked ahead. He was walking on it?! "Sesshomaru, you DO know you're on thin ice, right?"

"Yes," he replied, his footsteps making barely any noise. "It is not a problem for someone using very little energy though."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, and watched as the darkness slowly swallowed his figure. "Yeah, okay, I'll just wait right here then." She had herself a seat, and watched for him to come back. "Hey, why don't you ever use any energy?"

"You have already asked that question," the darkness replied.

"Well, yeah, and got an extremely vague answer," she retorted, huffing over the two week old memory. "I want to know some specifics though."

There was a pause. "Yōkai energy gives off a very strong vibration. If used for too long, or too strongly, it can prompt the area to concave."

"... My, what a pleasant thought," she replied. "Would you mind getting off the ice then?"

"I am barely on it."

"I know," she stated. "I was referring to the energy you're using now."

"This much will do nothing," he replied. "At least not for a while."

"What are you even doing?" she asked.

"Searching."

"For the stake?"

"Obviously."

She huffed again. His voice was a hard thing to read. "And how exactly do you plan to get it at the bottom or a frozen lake, oh one who cannot swim?"

He chuckled dryly. "I can always send someone who _can_ in after it."

"I'd die of hypothermia," she replied. "And I can't see, remember?"

"Then we will improvise."

She flinched horribly when a loud crack with minute splashes filled the room.

"What the hell was that??"

"That was me making a hole," he supplied. She could feel his aura, and knew he was walking back.

"I'm staying here," she informed him a tad bitterly, imagining being turned into the human harpoon and being thrown into said hole after a stick.

"Perhaps for another five seconds," he agreed, now in her range of sight.

"U-uh," she replied, shaking her head. "No way, I am NOT going out there."

"Oh, but you are," he replied, slightly humored.

She wished there was something she could do to resist being picked up and carried under one arm over to the hole, but considering the whole energy thing she didn't want to stress her luck, which was pretty bad to begin with.

"I still can't see anything," she told him flatly, looking down at the black hole her face was held over. "Now take me back, and we'll try in the summer when things warm up."

"By then the seal will have broken," he replied. "We need to get it now."

She huffed. "And what am _I_ supposed to do about that?"

"Play fetch."

"Drop me and I'll slaughter you."

"Not like that," he laughed. "You can grab things with your energy, and now you need to grab this."

"Again, I can't see it," she fired back. "And that would be using even more energy than you are now, and I've never grabbed something through the water. I might just get water!"

"It is like the air, only thicker," he replied. "And I will provide the light, so long as you prepare for a fast retrieval."

"..." She felt like a tool, especially being held at his side like that, but got ready nonetheless and stared downwards with determination. The sooner they got this over with, the less likely the ceiling and thousands of feet of earth would topple on top of them. "Alright, go for it."

Kagome could easily say that she was scared when the room suddenly hummed and it looked like daylight had dawned on the area. ... This was a big place...

"Hurry."

"Oh!" she flinched, looking back down. "Right! Sorry!"

Wow, that was clear water. But there was the staff, just laying there and twitching with the current. She reached her energy down and tried to grab it, then realized something very important.

"I can't see how deep it is!" she yelled, trying to even touch the stake by going deeper and deeper. And deeper. Where was it?!

"Five more feet," he informed, his grip around her waist tightening for some reason. "Hurry."

She stared desperately at the almost mocking little stake, and swishing her energy again it twitched. "There it is!" She tried to grab it, and lost her concentration when something crashed. Looking over, it was a large stalactite the size of three full grown men crumpling on the 'beach', and looking up...

"You are wasting time!" he growled.

"Okay, okay!" she replied, reaching out again. It took her a second to figure out the depth, flinching with every sound of something falling, and finally she had her energy around the object and made it fly for them.

Sesshomaru leaped aside when the stake barely cleared the hole, and the shift of their direction had the item flying when she lost her concentration again. She watched as a gigantic rock went plummeting into where they had been standing, creating a wave which broke the ice and drew near them.

"Ack!" she cried, the place going dark as Sesshomaru moved suddenly.

"Suppress your energy and stay still," he told her. She obeyed, and felt the lurch of him running over, bending quickly to grab the stake, then leaping away when another object of mass mass pierced the lake nearby. Even without his energy Sesshomaru was quite fast, but Kagome could hear the dreadful cracking of ice reaching out for them, more snapping from above, and the remaining hum reverberating in the room. It made her worried. She didn't want to get wet, or stabbed, or to drown, or all three.

"You are moving to my back," she heard, and a second later she was frantically grabbing for something to hold on to. She figured he couldn't move as well with someone tucked under his arm, so she held his shoulders tightly and clamped her legs around his waist since he didn't hold her up.

She thanked all that time she spent being jostled quickly on Inuyasha's back, and although it guaranteed a few won bets on machine bull backs it now let her stay on this crazy yōkai who could lunge and leap like a squirrel with its tail on fire. It was so irregular wild that she wondered if he was running up tilted sheets of ice like you typically saw in cartoons, but that was literally impossible. Direction was a hard thing to figure out in the dark and when you weren't the one moving. They were in the air for a little while, and when he landed there was the distinct sound of foot contact with earth, and they were moving. Was he running back to where they came from?

"If we're off the lake, why are we still-" She hugged him tightly when he jumped aside to let a particularly loud and monstrous crash and grind of stone have its way with the nearby floor. She knew it was close, because one of the pebbles chipping off the splitting rock and hit her in the face. Kagome didn't let go to feel it though, she had no idea when he'd shift again. So she buckled down and hid the abused side of her face against his hair, which was quite soft.

They were leaping over the tipping rocks, zig zagging alongside the river, and Kagome was mentally blown away by the feeling of him jumping easily like some mountain goat up the cliff. The more he jostled, the further she slipped, so she was given ample opportunity to get twitter pated when his hands held the undersides of her legs.

"How are you doing?" she asked through a blush so hot that she could swear her breath steamed. She could still hear the falls of more rocks echoing after them, but they were fading.

"Fine." He didn't sound tired at all. She supposed he really was using energy, but directing it to his body to max performance. She remembered trying it in some sports, such as track and volley ball. She had done fantastic, but the coaches could never figure out why she was shaking with muscle spasms afterwards, and she had to come up with one of her grandpa's ever so rare and tropical diseases. She wondered how long it would take until her body got used to excessively drawing on her powers.

She was amazed that climbing only took a little longer than the falling had, and they were off again through tunnels that her memory failed to give her a visual on.

"Why are you still running?" she asked, the crashing having ceased for at least two minutes.

"To get out of this place, of course," he replied.

She was a tad uncertain, and would have looked to the ceiling for guidance if she could see it. "Well, I can run, too."

"Not very well," he replied.

"Can too!" she defended. "It just hurts afterwards, that's all!"

"I have plenty of energy for this, so do not fret about being carried." She blushed. He was good at this. "And you are not a Viking prize."

"I wasn't thinking that!" she defended herself. But now that she was... She smacked the top of his shoulder. "And stop pondering such things, it was only a kiss!"

He chuckled.

She melted.

"Besides," she began, needing to back herself up. That, and to occupy her brain with speech rather than images. Fun images... "It's not like it could mean anything between us. People kiss, big deal."

"Kissing is a frequent activity for you then?"

She blushed. "No, it's not, and because of that I'm considered an oddity in my time."

"When was your last time?"

"Why should I tell?"

"Because I asked."

That arrogant... "Why do you care to ask?"

"Because I am curious."

She sighed. This man was simply impossible. "My last one, other then with you and Inuyasha, was a few months after you left, and it wasn't very good, either."

"... That is it?"

Her eyes widened almost painfully. "YES that's IT! Don't tell me it's odd for yōkai too!!"

He chuckled, and she felt like he was laughing at her. A tiny voice wanted to ask when his last time kissing someone was, but she didn't want to know. Such things were personal anyway, no matter how many other people pried into her life over it.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask," she began, heart laboring slightly with anxiety. "Why did you leave without saying hello when I saw Inuyasha in the clearing?"

She felt his grip on her tighten minutely. "You were obviously busy, so I merely left the Jewel with you."

"... You lie."

She was shocked that those words came out, but she knew he lied. She couldn't sense it, and definitely couldn't smell it, but something inside her said he was fibbing.

"I do not."

"Then you're not telling me everything," she replied, a tad offended.

"Not everything is your business."

She was deeply offended, and turned his words back onto him. "It _is_ my business if it has something to do with me!"

"Why do you believe it has something to do with you?"

Now she was mad, and a tad hurt. "Because when I saw you walking away I was scared, that's why!"

"Most are scared when I approach, not leave."

"Oh, get over yourself!" she scolded him. "I felt like you were angry with me, that's why I was scared, you thick-headed... MALE!"

That was not one of her best insults in the world, but she stuck by it.

"You do not want me to be angry with you?"

"No," she almost pouted. Especially if she didn't deserve his anger, then she wasn't going to accept it.

"Then I am not."

She smacked his shoulder again, still fascinated that she was ever allowed to do that. "Well, I don't care anymore, it was a feeling I used to have."

He was silent for a minute. "You are quite confusing."

"So are you," she defended herself. "It's not like I have a nose like yours."

"Hm," he hummed once. "You were mad at me then?"

"Then?"

"When I left."

"Well, afterwards, yes," she admitted. "I mean, it's been four years, and you can't even say 'hi'? Instead I get stabbed by a giddy Tenseiga."

"... What?"

"You heard me," she replied. "It's how I got the Jewel back. That damn blade has good aim for an object."

He chuckled.

"NOT funny," she snipped.

"To an outsider, it is hilarious."

"... You are such a jerk..."

He accepted the name, since he didn't make a reply to it, and they were jumping upwards again, probably past their landing zone for the blast. He was a _very_ fast runner go get them to that point so quickly. Within another five minutes they passed through the glowing red barrier, and it only took two seconds to get it in and out of sight.

She began asking him questions again, starting with how long it takes to get used to using energy in your muscles and eventually transforming to asking where they were. By the time it got to that part though she could look up and get the answer.

It was daylight. Bright, glistening, snow infested, strong, pupil shrinking daylight. She quickly hid her face into his hair to spare herself from the quick adjustment.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"Too light," she replied. "Give me a second." Being against his hair wasn't a disappointment anyway.

She forced herself to get used to it, first by just keeping her eyes closed, then slowly opening them. She was at his side again on one of those energy clouds, and they were moving at a leisurely pace.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because my eyes hurt," she replied, wiping the water away. It came right back though. "Going from 'cave' to 'brilliant winter glory' isn't the easiest of adjustments. ... For me."

He chuckled, and she noted his hand rest against the dip of her hip as they sped up. She told herself that it was to make sure she wouldn't fall, but that didn't help to make it not feel good. She had fantasized about the day she could feel good held like that, and for some reason it really was a better feeling with Sesshomaru doing it. She leaned against him, head resting on his shoulder, and daring the sight she looked for the sun. It was at midday... They had been in there for over thirty hours...

She yawned strongly, which summoned more tears, and couldn't wait to fall into bed. For now though, this was a comfortable position... A very comfortable one. And she didn't feel ashamed at all in assuming it.

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**A/N:** A shorter chapter, despite how long it took to update... I feel as though not much had happened, but a lot actually did.


	12. The Pleasure of Your Company

**A/N:** About time I updated... I've been 'suffering' random sessions of writer's block, which seems very odd, I know. I hope that the horrifying length of it is good enough to make up for the time though. Yes, look at that little scroll bar to the right. See how exceptionally tiny that is?? You have a lot of reading ahead of you, and now that I think about it I don't believe anyone dreads that...

Oh, and one more thing. I've gotten quite a few more readers who have been pampered with reading thirty three chapters without update time, so it is a new thing to be dropped at the end of a chapter and have questions. Well, it's been the same way with a lot of chapters. I leave questions in my reader's heads to ponder over for the next update, it's just the way I write. :P

Enjoy! :D

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**The Pleasure of Your Company**

Upon their return, Kagome was immediately glomped by children and 'persuaded' to play with them. They had made an extra durable ball to kick around, and she was impressed by its size. It was at least another half the size of a normal soccer ball, but it was easier for them to handle and get to. They may be yōkai, but they were still children, and depth perception was a scary thing to confront face on.

It was especially scary for Kagome, who was currently goal keeper. The kids were calling her a cheater for using her miko powers to grab the forty mile per hour ball, and she had to catch them and ruffle some hair to get the point across that she deserved at least her powers against little super yōkai. Besides, the teams had quickly transformed from twenty versus twenty to thirty nine versus the goal keeper, so she had her work cut out for her. She eventually put a barrier in front of the goal and told them to figure it out so she could have a break. Sesshomaru had been there for all of thirty seconds, probably curious, and was long gone now.

"I had no idea you were so good with children," Sheng commented, offering a cup of sake. She accepted just to quench some thirst, and politely asked a servant who happened to be mother to three of those brats for some water instead.

"Being a miko helps," she replied, huffing alcohol tainted puffs and probably stinking the place up with perspiration. Oh well, they'd have to deal with their noses while her body handled its temperature.

Sheng chuckled. "Ever think of having kids?"

She snorted. Loudly. "Yeah. Usually in nightmares."

They had a good laugh at that.

Seeing Kagome's desperation for sleep after a five minute water break, Sheng verbally fended off the children, and they struck a bargain that Kagome could leave (for now) if she dropped the barrier.

"Thanks," she said, walking alongside Sheng in the barely lit halls. It was sunset already, and they were off to a quiet room so she could get some food for the first time in over a day before hitting the hay. She didn't have an appetite until five bites into it.

They had been talking about various sports and the Olympics, which he had attended far more than once in Greece a couple thousand years ago, when they had an unexpected visitor.

"Dear Li Hua," Sheng greeted, standing with arms open. "What a pleasure to see you!"

"... Did the sake finally get to you?" she asked, genuinely curious through her natural joy-kill attitude.

Kagome snorted soy sauce.

"Barely," Sheng replied. "We need to invent a stronger drink, or import it."

Sesshomaru's mother offered a smile. "You do that... In the meantime, would you mind that I intercept your conversation for a personal meeting?"

"Certainly not," he replied. "I will see you tomorrow, fair Kagome."

She waved once. He was certainly happy. Maybe he had actually gotten tipsy?? He must have started drinking at five in the morning then. He drank in moderation though, so he could have just overdone it.

The door closed, and Kagome found herself facing off with the second most powerful person in that place.

"So..." she began, swallowing her food. "How's life?"

"Long," was the reply. Classic. Li Hua knelt down at the table, and performed the most odds defying feat Kagome had ever witnessed.

The woman turned into a giddy girl.

"So!" she giggled. "I was just with Sesshomaru, and he seems to have taken to you quite well! What happened in the cave?"

One of the chopsticks fell from Kagome's hand. Dear kami, it was yōkai Yuka!

"Ah..." was Kagome's first intelligent noise. She forced herself to stop staring, and put down the other stick. "Well, we were attacked and had to follow a stream to get that seal back."

Li Hua huffed. "I came in here to listen to a story, not a sentence. I want to know everything, and I do not care how long it takes or how graphic it gets."

Kagome blinked. This was going to be interesting...

Ten minutes proved to be enough time to get past the uncertainty though.

"Really?!" Li Hua giggled happily. "He kissed you?!"

"I know!!" Kagome laughed, blushing heavily now and feeling like that one drink of sake had loosened her tongue. It didn't do anything to her though, she knew that. "I so wasn't expecting it, either! It's like he's a whole different person when he's out of the o-shiro."

"I know," Li Hua sighed. "I practically banned him from this place for a while, but it certainly did not help with his personality. You are quite healthy for him."

Kagome waved a hand in the air. "Nah. I'm probably just the only person who has no connections to his life and doesn't care about his status."

"Therein lies the good part," Li Hua replied. She suddenly clapped her hands with a cute smile. "Oh, I am _delighted_! A few more months and I am sure you can stay here the rest of your life!"

Kagome accidentally dropped her tea cup, and it shattered.

"... Was that unexpected?" Li Hua asked.

"Um," Kagome replied with another undeniably eloquent utterance. "Ah... Huh... Um, why?"

Li Hua blinked and suddenly had a very flat expression. "Surely the two of you are falling in love by now..."

Kagome got so red that she soon felt like a kettle with a cork in it. "Wh- ... What?!"

Li Hua sighed. "Oh, my, you two are impossible..." She hummed to herself as Kagome counted the painful throbs of her heart being lodged somewhere in her esophagus. It made for quite the annoying lump stuck in her throat, and it was hard to breathe. "Calm yourself, this is nothing to be afraid of."

"You're talking about me falling in love with... With your _son_!" Kagome replied. "Don't you want him getting it on with a yōkai? I'm a human, your kind hates me!"

"Correction, you are a miko."

"Which means you _despise_ me instead," Kagome replied.

Li Hua giggled. "Only a little. On the contrary, being a miko is indeed a very respectable title, even among yōkai. We just do not admit it."

Kagome stuttered. "But, come on. I can't fall in love with him, and he can't fall in love with me."

"You forbid it?"

"It's impossible."

"Then _would_ you forbid it?"

Kagome could only imagine the brilliant color she turned into.

"I will take that as a 'no'," Sesshomaru's mother stated. "Now then, why do you assume it is impossible?"

Kagome's head was swimming. This woman was too carefree to have a normal paced conversation with. "Wha-? Um, well, if I _was_ with him, I'd surely be assassinated-"

"He would protect you and your children with his life," Li Hua defended.

"... And- And he would have _hanyō _children if he mated a human-"

"So?"

This woman loved interrupting people. "_And_, I am **hardly **a presentable lady. I don't even act feminine!"

"You have a low self esteem, do you not?" the mother asked. Kagome gapped. "Is this really all that is holding the two of you back? By your reactions to one another you seem to believe that any romance would start a war..."

Kagome balled her fists under the table. "Why are you contradicting me!"

"Because you are denying yourself," she replied. "And, consequently, you are denying Sesshomaru what he wants as well."

Kagome stared. Was this offending? Embarrassing? Confusing, certainly. She couldn't figure any of this out.

"I will strike a bargain with you."

Kagome focused back on reality from her slight emotional turmoil.

"I will make a list of things Sesshomaru may do to show you his interests," she began, returning to her regal and nonchalant state yet retaining a quirky little smile. "If he does _any_ of them, you _will_ admit to yourself that you like him, that he likes you, and you open up so he does not feel so odd trying to woo you. Or just tell him that you are not interested in him and be done with it."

Kagome could feel her soul starting to raise out of her body. This felt worse than... Than webcam dating... "... Are you serious?"

"Perfectly," Li Hua replied. "Now before you begin stuttering excuses, here are some things men in my species do."

Kagome swallowed hard, telling herself how utterly preposterous this was, and listened as though it were the information that would save the world.

"Since he is indeed a lord, he will not be obvious about his feelings until you begin opening up, or until the two of you are alone." That was obvious. Was that on the list? "He will seek your attention more frequently, and perhaps do small favors for you when he has the time. You will be isolated from other males unless he trusts them, and he may be more prone to touching you." Li Hua smiled when Kagome began blushing more and more furiously. "Has he already done all of this?"

"No," Kagome replied. "Some..."

"Ah, good! Now, where was I..."

"I can't believe you're enforcing this..." Kagome sighed, not knowing what to do with herself.

"Of course I am. I am his mother, therefor, I have complete rights to do so when I see fit. ... Ah, right, another thing he may be prone to is seeking your company more than usual, which _is_ different than wanting your attention."

Kagome held her face. This wasn't happening... This was _Sesshomaru_, for kami's sake!! The aristocratic assassin, the killing perfection, the ender of lives. Not some normal guy who was as uncertain about romance as she was. It just... It was **impossible**.

"Yes, blush prettily like that around him, too," Li Hua almost teased. "He will love it."

"I already do it _plenty_!" Kagome cried hysterically. She couldn't believe this, she was going to go home and never come back.

"Splendid!" the mother cheered. "Keep up the good work. Now, I have to go scold my son, so I bid you a good night."

Kagome found herself first staring after the woman, and then alone with her thoughts. She believed she would never get to sleep after this, but her exhaustion told her otherwise and demanded that she have a few erotic dreams to keep her mind company. The next day she was training with thoughts of the fight which would take place in just four days, and more thoughts of what Sesshomaru's mother had said the night before. She was still blushing over the ideas that woman had given her, but decided while her sword diced the air that she would play along with being a little more cute around Sesshomaru. She could do that, she was curious after all, and it could be fun if he got into it. After all, any side other than his normal side was always fun to see, and... Well, she had to admit, he wasn't the worse thing in the world to look at.

She finished through a form and stopped when she sensed Sesshomaru nearby, and was intrigued when he exited from the o-shiro to watch her.

"A visit?" she asked, sheathing her blade and refusing to run screaming for his mom to undo what she had said the night before. "Aw, you shouldn't have." He really, really shouldn't have...

Sesshomaru looked like he was trying to suppress a small smile, probably picking up on some odd scent she didn't doubt was coming off of her, but she noticed the corners of his mouth begin to raise despite his best of efforts. Maybe he liked her... Just maybe... That thought was enough to bring down an army...

"I am leaving with Sheng on official business to Edo," he informed nonchalantly. "Are you still interested in seeing the castle?"

"Is that... An invitation?" she asked, the ticking in her chest stopping for a moment.

"What else could it be?" he inquired while folding his hands into his sleeves

Kagome gapped at him. Then, wondering what his reaction would be to her next big display of feminine stupidity, she squealed and hurried over to quickly embrace him. "YES!! Yes yes yes! Thank you!"

She let go, smiled like an idiot, and went into her room to gather some things. Seeking her presence, okay... Was he going to seek her attention, too? That was beside the point though. The castle?! She was _definitely _excited. In her time, this was a never in a lifetime opportunity, and she just seized it.

He followed her... Alright, maybe some attention was being sought... She couldn't help but blush. Was his mother actually right? If so, Kagome needed to drink a bottle of sake and sit down with the woman for a day to discuss certain things.

"That was quite the unexpected reply," he commented.

"It suits an unexpected invitation," she countered, glancing at him standing in the doorway. The winter sparkled behind him, and she looked away before she began thinking how poetically beautiful life suddenly was. "When are you leaving?"

"Now."

"Alright then!" she replied, her sword set aside with her bow, quiver and bag, and her haori and hakama only in slight disarray. "I'm ready! Where's Sheng?"

Sheng was waiting in the court yard, and Kagome smiled to see him. The yōkai smiled back, and left her staring when he lifted into the air without her.

Ah... Yeah... She hated that man... So he WAS in on this whole 'lets see if we can't make the impossible happen by getting those two interested in one another' scheme!

"Are you coming?"

Kagome looked quickly at Sesshomaru, and when she blushed he smiled ever so faintly and offered his hand. She accepted it, cursing his mother vigorously inside her head as they lifted into the air. She was wondering why they weren't there already with that instant travel thing and why Sheng remained so far ahead. She also noted that Sheng remained standing, while she was left to sit at Sesshomaru's side. How cute...

"So," she began, a bit nervous now. Okay, maybe Sesshomaru liked her, but probably just as a friend, because anything else would be odd. Right? Well, different, probably not unpleasant. "I can fly like this?"

"With practice," Sesshomaru replied.

"How long does it take?"

He shrugged, which she felt since she was leaning against him again. She enjoyed that little bit of physical contact. His hand was on her hip once more, and the touch was like blessed fire. "I do not know how long it will take you."

"Well, how many days did you need?"

"Hm," he laughed to himself. "It took me a little more than two years."

She about had a heart attack. "Wow... Swimming doesn't take nearly that long..."

"How long did you need?"

She thought about that. "... Well... Maybe two or three years to do it unassisted... But that's because I was a child. Were you young when you began flying?"

He nodded.

"It should only take you a week to learn how to swim quite decently," she assured. "If not less. Learning to dive is trick for some people."

"Then flying should take just as long."

She was shocked. "U-uh... I like the idea of having two years."

"You wish to have me teaching you for that long?"

... "Good point."

They chuckled over that, and were already fairly close to old Edo. The commute from the mountain was a relatively short one, probably only ten minutes at this speed. The little city was pretty large, but so underdeveloped that Kagome couldn't recognize any part of it at all as they began to fly over it.

"You brought down Bashamon here?" she asked.

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied.

"There aren't any battle scars," she commented, checking the walls and for old fire burns.

"It was a fairly simple battle," he supplied. "Once Bashamon fell the chain of command broke, making his forces into a mass of idiots struggling for open dominance. Lizards are quite inexperience with pack mentality, it is not natural for them."

"That must have been entertaining," she replied with a smile. "By the way, where did the stake end up? We haven't strengthened it yet. You sort of disappeared with it when we got back."

"Last night, you seemed too tired to be securing the seal," he answered the statement before the question. "The stake is under tight security back at the o-shiro until another safe confinement can be found. The council had wanted the seal strengthened within the last week leading up to our resumed fight, in case something were to happen."

Alright, so they had a few days before the seal actually began to weaken. "Why didn't Bashamon show himself when you were leaping for the cave exit?"

Sesshomaru sounded quite humored. "When one is soul bound to an item, they are capable of disappearing into it. Like Saya with So'unga's sheath. It is better than being dragged along."

She could imagine as much. She had yanked Saya after herself numerous times. "Why does he need to be isolated so far away?" she asked. Seriously, the guy was sealed already... Were they looking for another cave?

"Because he would bore the guards to death."

"... That was a joke?"

"Hardly."

"Well, it was still funny," she replied with a smile, leaning into him a little more. She realized she had done as much, and was about to draw away, but his hand held her securely there. Hm, maybe he did like her... Maybe she liked him liking her... It was hard to think that way about someone who defined 'impersonal'. She enjoyed the areal sight of the castle as they drew closer.

Landing was always something Kagome enjoyed. Sesshomaru's energy swirled like a mist around them, keeping them momentarily afloat just high enough to extend their legs and touch down, then it disappeared like fog in the sun. She was somewhat disappointed when he removed his hand from her, but supposed that having Sheng for an audience wasn't something either of them would enjoy in the future.

Kagome looked around the snowed out garden, the place not familiar in the least. This section must have been claimed by the fires of the Meiji revolution. Ugh, she wish she hadn't been 'sick' for the field trip to the castle in the future.

She was going to ask who ruled at this time, but their presence was known and a very scared servant greeted the three of them and invited them inside. Promptly after being shown to a nice room the lord arrived.

"My mighty lords," the man greeted. "I apologize for not being more prepared in receiving you."

"Enough of that," Sheng replied. Kagome was shocked at how serious he sounded and looked at him out of the corner of her eye to see if he was swapped with a double. Nope, that was him... "You know why we are here."

"Yes!" the under lord agreed, bowing again. "The scrolls are being summoned as we speak, and food and drink prepared."

The poor middle aged man looked so nervous, and kept eying Kagome in a questioning manner. Probably because she looked like the miko that she was, which didn't make sense when in the presence of two powerful yōkai. She offered him a small smile, and his spirits seemed to brighten a little.

They were invited to relax, and when the scrolls were brought Sesshomaru cracked seals and unbound ties to skim through them. Kagome, seated to the inugami daiyōkai's right was fascinated. There were probably twenty rolls of parchment there, and in two minutes he was already through three. No wonder he was able to plow through the library... They were huge too, about as long as her forearm from extended fingertips to elbow, and probably as thick as two fists held together. They looked to weigh a lot, each carried in by one servant with both arms, but Sesshomaru handled the rolls of paper like it were the morning news articles.

"These are incomplete," he stated, handing the scroll he had just finished over to Sheng. Two scribes lifted their brushes to record the lord's words. Feeling like she needed something to do, Kagome began to reach for the food that had been brought to them. Sesshomaru absentmindedly took her hand and held it to her lap, then removed it to handle the parchment. Apparently, they were allowed to be offered food, but it would be a bad thing to accept it. She instead kept herself entertained by looking at the information he was quickly scrolling though, and it was like watching the credits of a movie, only three times as fast. She caught the words Ashikaga Shogunate though, which was the title of the current military dictatorship. So the Ashikaga family lived there now... That would last for... Seventy more years? She was off, she knew it, but not by much. The next family to settle in Edo would be the popular Tokugawa in their two hundred and sixty five year rein.

"Yes," Sheng stated, which sounded random after Kagome's thought process. "We require records of all of your spending and acquirement of money."

"Where are the records flawed, my lords?" the man inquired. The poor guy looked ready to behead himself to save them the trouble of having to do it. He was apparently very new to his position, or filling in for someone.

"You have no records of food or taxes in here," Sheng began, Sesshomaru picking up the fifth scroll to read it. "You also do not specify whether or not your servants are paid. You have kept a decent log of trade, military, and the minor lord wages, which is good... How is the next scroll looking, Inu no Taisho?"

Kagome felt her eyes widen extremely, but otherwise was perfectly fine with the suddenly different title for Sesshomaru. Apparently, he had some pretty sizable shoes to fill.

"Decent," Sesshomaru replied, handing it over for Sheng's perusal. Was Sesshomaru remembering all of the information written down, or just double checking records? By the looks of the dates, Kagome guessed that these covered the last year of city financing and military action. She wondered if yōkai proof-read the transactions which initiated world war one so long from now... Did Sesshomaru read and approve of it? Or even initiate it? She hoped not...

Sheng clicked his tongue with disapproval, which made the man seated down before them flinch. "Recording merely the taxes from the populace is not enough, young lord. You need to address your minor lords and tell them that the financial records of every family need to be balanced to know if there is an increase or decrease of prosperity here. Going by this, it is hard to know the daimyō are abusing the system, which they are doing. Be sure to fix that. Also, about the safety in the city, make sure that all sectors are policed, and that-"

This was like a history lesson, so Kagome naturally muted the rest out... If she recalled correctly, the daimyō were the domesticated samurai who managed many records and owned ample land in the area, and they died out in the nineteenth century.

They were there for another half an hour, discussing how things were to be improved and what will have changed by the time they visited a year from now, and by the end of it Sesshomaru told the man to have the castle cleared until they left.

"Clear out the castle??" Kagome asked when the lord finally left, having been slowed by several bows as the scribes exited with their small tables and papers. This was worse than watching Jaken around Sesshomaru. ... And speaking of, where had that toad gotten to? She hadn't seen him in years. Anyway... "Where are they supposed to go?!"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Elsewhere. Such is not my problem, but theirs."

"Why did you tell him to clear the place out though?" Kagome inquired, a little flustered. It was rude in her book to have everyone evacuate their home...

"Because yōkai are beginning to become more of a myth than a reality," Sheng supplied. "And that is a good thing. To have all of the servants witness a 'demon' giving a miko a tour of the castle would be counterproductive."

"You want them to think that your kind doesn't exist?" Kagome asked incredulously. "But... But isn't that something you wouldn't want? It seems dishonorable."

"Certainly not," Sheng replied, continuing their conversation with Sesshomaru stuck sitting in the middle of it; Sheng was to his left, Kagome still to his right. "It would free us from guiding these simpleminded humans so that we may focus on our own kind. We do not enjoy meddling with affairs not concerning us, but splitting land to be ruled by two different species has such disadvantages. We merely want them to be able to watch themselves and to gather in actual cities soon, so that our kind my stay where we belong and not be bothered."

Kagome nodded, though she didn't quite understand. She had always thought that yōkai hated humans, not spent hundreds of years guiding them in the ways of politics and economics, and she would imagine the human race to be dead by now if they were an obligation. Then again, it made sense. She could point at a few other government systems which seemed solely constructed of actual demons in the future.

"You're not coming?" Kagome asked Sheng as she began to walk away with Sesshomaru in the slight lead.

"Nah," the old yōkai replied, looking content. "You go ahead and explore your architecture. I'll enjoy some of the sake they brought."

He offered her a wink, and she giggled as Sesshomaru told her to not dawdle. Sheng had his reasons, which were a tad humiliating. He was giving her some alone time with Sesshomaru. She would have balked at the thought, save for the fact that it would be nice to enjoy a two person tour. Perhaps she could make him laugh some more, too.

"Wow..." Kagome found herself sighing, walking through standing history. "I can't believe how beautiful this place is..." It's a shame it was, or would be, destroyed... She was so wrapped up in the artistic qualities of the place. The wood which was not painted over white was dark and yet very warm. Outside showed snow buried trees and large bridges which stretched over the motionless moats. In the future, some of those bridges which survived the fires would be replaced with European-style ones, so to see the originals outside of photos was something to cherish. The castle shot out of the water in walls of huge, fitted stones, which was perfect for the fortified fort that it truly was. There were very large, fancy and functional gates and turrets on the outside, positioned strategically for the day and age and battle methods. Sesshomaru was a tad surprised by how much Kagome was delighted to see and feel the walls. None of them remained standing in the future. They were all torn down, and most of the gates with them.

Although the outside was captivating, the inside was stunning. Not many pictures showed the interior of the castle around which Edo was built. As she studied cross beams and carvings with a note to memorize them, she absentmindedly wondered how similarly she was acting like Sesshomaru when he first went to the future. Heh, magnets... She had caught him visiting them at night when she needed a drink. She had peeked around the corner to see him tossing a sticker magnet at the fridge to see it stick, then peel it off and do it again, flexing it in perplexity. She was smiling now at both her brief exploration and the memory.

"Thank you," she said as their walk began to loop, returning to the room they left Sheng in. "This was great."

"You are welcome," Sesshomaru replied. Sheng had left, probably having returned to the o-shiro, so they went to find the lord and told him they were leaving, at her insistence, and then did so.

"... So, where are we going?" she asked, back on that energy cloud with Sesshomaru, wondering how many people saw them. They were moving off in a direction they didn't arrive from. That was answered soon though, because a particular structure caught her eye and she squinted to see it better. "... Oh my goodness..."

When they landed she looked around, then at Sesshomaru. He nodded his head, suggesting she explore, and she stepped high through the snow and did just that.

Sliding the familiar, younger doors to the well shrine open, she felt like she could turn around and see her home. The shrine was exactly what she was used to seeing in the future, save for those doors were still over the top of the well. They had not been busted out by Mistress Centipede and Inuyasha yet, and they did not look as old as she was used to. The hinges were still new, and unmarred by centuries of morning fog to rust them up

She took a deep breath, and slid her hands down from the ends of the doors to walk over the sudden cut off snow and inside. It was so familiar. Even the smell... She looked back, but didn't see the property she had been raised on. It was a clear and bumpy hilltop, like a religious or natural sanctuary, and a very important tree was missing.

"Where does the Goshinboku go?" Sesshomaru asked her once she came back out. She felt like her mind had just been read.

"Hm," she hummed happily, pointing. "Over there. I'll show you."

She jogged ahead, the snow rather deep in certain places, and once she got to where she could see the ghost of the ancient tree standing in front of her she looked back to confirm the spot. It was right, and she made a circle with her footprints in the snow while Sesshomaru finished his walk.

"Right here," she smiled, looking down at her sloppy mark for the tree's location. She looked around, and pointed again. "That's where the house is... And in front, that's where the main visitor's shrine and office will be... The minor stairs leading to the property are back over there... And the main ones are up there..." This felt so weird to be on an empty lot, and she could so easily see where everything would be built. She gave a soft hum, feeling warmed rather than lost and confused for the lack of her home, and smiled up at Sesshomaru. "You didn't have to bring me here..."

"I am aware of that," he replied with a small smile. "Not everything has to revolve around me."

She blushed, his mother's words echoing in her head. "Thank you." A grin captured her, and she walked back over to the well shrine. He followed.

"What do you find funny?" he asked in response to her giggle.

Kagome rounded on the daiyōkai, hands clasped behind her back, and smiled. "I was just thinking about that rainstorm," she admitted, looking around. "Kami, you were annoying back then..."

"You still see me in such light," he replied.

"... Well, not so much," she informed, giving her all to suppressing a faint flush of her cheeks. "I will consider you a friend, for now, and I will see where things go from there."

"Hm," she heard him utter. "I still do not know why you refused my haori back then."

"Because of what it meant in my time," she explained, letting the story hang in the air.

He decided to grab it. "What does it mean?"

"Heh," she tittered. "Well, it is usually done with coats, which are the future of haori. In my time, a guy will offer his coat to a girl because he likes her, and him not wanting her to catch cold is a good excuse to do it. I was... caught off guard when you put your haori around me, and said you didn't want me to get sick, then you forced me to sit in your lap... It meant something more than a safeguard against disease to me, and so I was embarrassed to accept it."

He understood what she was explaining, she could see in in his face with how it softened.

"Want to hang out?"

He frowned at her, caught off guard. "Hang out of what?"

She began laughing at him, and clutching her sides she sat down heavily against the wall, up on the interior walkway. "Oh, kami, I should make a book on altered phrases..."

He approached her, and she chuckle up at him. "To hang out means to spend time with one another, doing whatever. A lot of times it just means to do something mildly entertaining and then talk for hours on end."

"In other words, you wish to have a conversation with me?" he asked.

She nodded, and after a moment watched as he took a seat against the wooden picket-like fence across from her.

"Alright," he agreed, tucking his hands into opposing sleeves. "What do you wish to discuss?"

She smiled. "I think it's time to talk about what has happened to both of us in the last four years..."

Sesshomaru was a very good listener, but didn't have much to say about his time alone. Sadly, Kagome wasn't surprised that there was not much to his story. O-shiro life was boring. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, got an inside look on high school, the dating life (of which Kagome had very limited, unpleasant experience), martial arts and weapon training in the future, and by the time she was finished defending the fact that Keiji and her were just friends, Sesshomaru wanted to see what she knew of hand-to-hand combat.

"No energy," she stated, having closed the door a while ago to make the place warmer. It cut off the invasive breezes too, and dimmed the area noticeably.

"Alright," he agreed, standing ten feet away and waiting for the amusement to begin. She made the first move. He blocked and counterattacked, and his attack she blocked. "Good," he commented, dislodging their arms and making various, monitored jabs for certain areas. She blocked four more times, then got struck lightly in the sternum.

She dropped and tried to take his feet from under him.

"Ah!" she yelled when he jumped away and landed on the fence. "We agreed to no energy usage!"

He smirked, and jumped back over to her. He kept his hands perfectly flat the whole time, never making a fist, so she did the same. It was a good way to guarantee a lack of violence, though if used right the side of one's hand was quite formidable. So were his claws. After being struck a few more times, Kagome began using her legs as well, and he still proved to be far better than her. He took her feet from under her a grand total of seventeen times, touch-hit her more time than she cared to count, and sent her to her back four times. This last time she hadn't rolled away quickly enough, and was stopped from trying as much by the side of his hand coming quickly down and stopping over her sternum. If he had struck, that would have left her quite breathless and heavily bruised.

"Alright," she panted, "so you're better than me."

He stood and offered her a hand to stand, and she accepted it. She supposed that with him being the dominant male they would have continued until she did admit he was a better fighter. How annoying.

"We have not spared in a friendly manner for a very long time."

"I know," she replied, feeling the familiar sting of some bruises forming. One was on the side of her right thigh, another stinging right above the first in her ribs, the final between her breasts. "It's refreshing."

Although fighting was enjoyable, they returned to the o-shiro shortly after. Kagome got committed to playing with children again, this time demanding some tasuki cords to hold back her haori sleeves. Once she got the evening to herself she asked Jia for a nagajuban to change into so that no one would bother her again. Jia brought one, light of color with a dark sash, and folding and tying it into place she finished and flopped into bed and curled up comfortably on her side. She was sore. She needed to practice her martial arts more, it used different muscles than her freestyle kendo did, and it would help to handle those 'soccer' balls. When they were kicked by a little yōkai, it was like trying to catch a swinging elephant trunk. ... Not that she's ever attempted that.

As her daydreaming began to haze and merge into actual dreaming she was yanked out of it and left to blink uncertainly at her dim surroundings. Someone had knocked.

"Come in," she yawned, sitting up. Now she was definitely sore, stiff from remaining in one position, but that was fine. Oye, she had been on the very edge of sleep and hadn't even been under the covers. It was winter, after all, and Jia could have cracked open the door to air the room out. Kagome shouldn't leave herself open to sickness like that.

The door slid open, and she was genuinely taken aback.

"... Why are you suppressing your energy?"

"To avoid rumors," Sesshomaru answered, having stepped inside and closing the door. He wasn't wearing his usual outfit, minus the armor which had failed him in the cave and remained there, so apparently he had tried to get some sleep and couldn't. He was wearing an ankle length, dark yukata which was held shut by a white sash. "Were you asleep?"

"Hu-uh. Barely," she replied with a shake of her head, yawning again. She wasn't very used to seeing him in different outfits, but change wasn't a sin. She noted that he looked good in dark fabrics anyway, and that his shoulders truly were broad and strong underneath that pelt of his.

"Would you like to be asleep?" he inquired.

"I'm fine," she assured, finally finishing her overblown exhale. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged.

She blinked.

"For the pleasure of having company," he supplied.

She smiled lazily, and propped herself up against the wall, regarding him through heavy lids. "Want to hang out?"

He appeared to be lost for an instant with the new term, but nodded soon enough.

She gestured for him to sit on the edge of the bed, which was the only equal-status seat to offer him, and he took it and stared at the wall. She considered scooting away, but remained still. It wasn't every day she had a particularly handsome man visit her room in the dead of night to sit a foot from her feet. She told herself to stop thinking such, and drew her legs up so she could hug her knees in contemplation. Something was on his mind, and she noted how it weighed his shoulders down.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head minutely. He certainly was more stiff at the o-shiro. It was odd to have two versions of him to deal with. One was enough.

"Well, what can I do for you?"

He was still for a moment, then turned his head to regard her. Something rippled through her, loud and demanding yet so soft that she could suppress the desire to shiver. There was a glint in his eyes, something dark and wanting, but it was gone with a blink and she was left to wonder if it had ever been there.

"You came here for something, didn't you?" she asked when he remained silent. "Do you want to talk? If not, I can just sit here and pretend you don't exist. I've been known to be quite good at that."

The mere shadow of humor graced his face, and he gave a sharp hum of thought. "I do not require your assistance."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Wanting it is something entirely different though, and that's what I'm asking."

He was silent.

"I can just listen, if that's what you're here for," she suggested, biting down on an uprising yawn. "Or we can just stare at one another until the stars go to sleep and I pass out sitting upright..."

There was that shadow of humor again. "I can leave."

"Don't you dare," she warned him, unable to suppress the yawn this time. Oh, yeah, that felt good. "You woke me up. I'm not losing that dream for nothing, so you at least owe me an explanation."

There was quite the interesting smirk on his face then, and Kagome was just glad she had been covering her mouth because it was now hanging open.

"Did said dream have anything to do with this Sesshomaru?"

...

...

Her brain just broke.

She was now competing with, say, ambulance lights in outrageous brilliance. The ambulance probably won...

"Ah-! ... Of **course **not!" she yelled.

... Well, maybe not this time... She knew of a few favorite dreams which did...

He smirked. "Something about you is screaming otherwise."

That ambulance didn't stand a chance against her now...

"You are **so** egotistical to assume as much..."

"Your denial simply makes it more flattering," he stated, now completely humored. Good for him.

"Get over yourself," she recommended, looking away. For some reason there was a smile tugging at her lips. She was mad, dammit, **mad**! "Wh..." she huffed. Speak, woman, SPEAK!! And get that image out of your head! "What the hell are you here for?"

"We have already established that," he answered.

"Well, if taking pleasure in someone's company coincides with taking pleasure in their discomfort, then let me sleep!"

"Ah. So you _have_ had such dreams?"

The ambulance was crying in the corner with shame.

Oh, damn him! He could sense a lie, too!

"And what if I have?!" she demanded, flustered and angered over being angry over being flustered. "It's not like I can control my dreams!" If she could, she would never wake up.

A victorious little grin crossed his features, and she sagged with both defeat and gratification to any deity who could make such a handsome being. Then realizing what she was doing, she stiffened and glared at him.

"Stop looking so smug about it," she growled, eyes still swollen with their need to close for hours on end. "Why would you care what a mere human dreams of, anyway? I don't care that 'some humans are bearable', you still detest living with them and that's why you got rid of Rin."

... Wow... That struck a nerve in him. His humor was completely gone, and she was faced off with a yōkai who was righteously peeved. "Rin now lives in a human village, where she belongs and where she is accepted. I do not see you with the young fox who bonded to you like a son. Do you detest yōkai like any miko would and wish to rid yourself of him?"

That was a strong enough blow to make her flinch. "For your information, he's bonded rather nicely with a family of his own kind as well! And if I hated yōkai then I wouldn't even be here, you idiot!"

They glared at one another, and Kagome jerked her gaze away. That ass. She did miss Shippo, and she had been saddened with how short a time she had spent with him. The fact was that she had adopted him for a few months though, and that was it. He's been with a new family for four years... He's moved on... Like Rin... Sure, Kagome and Sesshomaru still visited, but... ...

She sighed heavily, and put her forehead to her still drawn up knees. She was more mature than this... "I'm... Sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you like that. I lose track of facts when I get mad, so I know you still visit Rin and care..."

There was the gentle shift of fabric, but what he did she didn't know. She didn't want to see him, still irked by his assumptions of her dreaming of him and his attacking her actions in a similar manner. ... Sure, he was right about who her favorite dream partner was, but it was just so rude... At least in her time it was. Speaking of...

"I know you're probably not used to having 'females' snap at you," she commented. "But I act the way I am, so you only have to deal with it for three more days."

She heard a very faint sigh escape him, and dared to consider that he didn't want to fight either. She hoped he didn't... He had suggested it be a fight to the death, and being the idiot she was she had accepted. So, she sighed too, because of their predicaments and in salutation to her continued confusion.

"Why did you come here?"

... She scrubbed a hand in her hair. "To return Tenseiga..." she told her lap, forehead comfortably pressed to the apex of her legs.

"And that is all?"

She shifted. "... No..."

"For what other reason?"

"For my own," she replied. What was she supposed to say? That she came here to see how he felt about her? She cringed. Hanging in the balance was agonizing, and every second it dragged out made her feel worse about it. She was sure she knew the answer would be a negative, which is why she refused to try anything to get it. She preferred her dreams... She could dream, and some day she could find a decent man. A man who she was sure would not deny her... Oh, she was a fool... Why _was_ she still there? Dreams were for her head, not her life. Uuuugh...

She dared a peek at Sesshomaru, and he was staring at her.

"What?!" she asked, suddenly flustered. How good was that nose of his anyway?!

"You are depressed."

A very slight scowl settled over her face. "I don't need you to tell me that."

"Why?"

"... Because I can feel my own emotions."

He shook his head. "Such is obvious, at times. Why are you sad?"

Her hands knotted into her night yukata, and she busied herself with getting under the blankets. Besides, it was chilly.

"That is my business," she told him, smacking the bed with her entire right side, her back now to her visitor. At times? He certainly had a way with words.

She could almost hear him thinking 'you dare block this Sesshomaru from your thoughts', but that was quickly shoved aside. Gee, first the guy comes in and wakes her up, then he ticks her off, and now she had eyes on her back.

"You're still here," she informed him.

"Yes, that seems to be the case," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes, gave a vexed sigh, and rolled over onto her elbows to address him. "Why? We're not even talking! Do you like me or something?!"

She meant that in a manner of a dog liking its master, but when that heart wrenching glint skittered across his eyes again he turned away from her. She stared, then got an evil little smile on her face. If he was going to accuse her of dreaming of him...

"You _do_ like me," she teased, feeling oddly egotistical at the thought and shaking her shoulders slightly. Those words felt **good**, and made her smile grow as her voice turned into a playful series of taunting tones. "You just can't admit it."

He was silent. She was feeling evil.

"Your lack of a comeback to that is simply '_flattering_', Sesshy," she teased. HAH! She'll show _him_ what happens when he broadens her vocabulary for the night.

He looked at her, and her ego suddenly dwindled and she didn't really feel like showing him up anymore.

An ever so faint smirk graced his lips. "And if I did?"

Alright, now that ambulance was just laughing at her, and her face actually hurt from her overwhelming blush. "Then... Then I don't know."

He nodded, and stood. She watched him leave, and before closing the door he paused and regarded her for the final time that morning.

"Enjoy your dreams, Kagome."

She was stunned out of a reply, and the door shut.

Oh, and enjoy them she did. She had just gotten her imaginary legs around his imaginary waist when her haori was removed from under her head for washing, and Jia disappeared so quickly that Kagome was still left blinking at her forearm and wondering what just happened when the door shut.

Well, she got a superb bath, manicure and pedicure included as well as a full body scrub which left her pink, and then she was guided to the next room over and was completely floored.

"No white?" she asked. YES!! Thank KAMI, yes!! She was looking at all of the fabrics which hung in waiting, and not even the inner linings were white! They were red! YES!!

As she got wrapped in the bright pink silk juban, which was cool to the touch yet very light, Kagome looked over at the kimono again and her brilliant smile faltered slightly. It was indeed colorful and beautiful, but the sleeves were very long, and she noticed more cords and fabrics set aside than there usually were.

"... Is that a furisode?"

The youngest maid hid her face and walked behind Kagome to adjust the sash, or datemaki, and to make sure that no unnecessary creases were prominent. Kagome knew a very fancy obi was coming, since the women were taking great care in making everything secure and snug. It really was uncomfortable to wear kimono.

"Yes, it is," replied the oldest woman there, receiving the ends of the datemaki to wind-knot them intricately right below Kagome's breasts and tucking the ends away. "Is there a problem? We heard that white was beginning to bother you."

Kagome mentally brushed it aside. "Just curious." If she had said there was a problem, then that would be the same thing as saying 'come on, I want to hide the fact that I'm young and not married, don't put me on display for that feature'. Furisode, which were long sleeved and quite flamboyant in design and color, were traditionally worn by young, unmarried women only. And by 'traditionally', she meant in this day and age. Oye... She supposed they didn't have any good miko clothes around.

The furisode was held back so her arms could tuck through and then brought up to settle over her shoulders. It was thick with layers of silk, and was of a light blue with petal decorations, and in the background of said decorations the blue silk gradually faded to the same light pink of the eri of her juban, tipping her long sleeves and the hem of the very formal and expensive kimono. It took a while to bind, lift to a proper length, and bind it again appropriately around her midriff, needing various ties and very practiced hands. The obi was brought over, and she noted how it was yellow and so needle worked that it was rough to the touch. Once it constricted her torso to a ruler proof degree of straightness and knotted into a fancy display she began her regulating kimono breathing. They secured the obi's place with the thin obi-jime cord and brought out the sash. They reminded her that the colorful sash, called the obi-age, was worn slightly over the top of the obi with a furisode rather than tucked in, and the ends were inserted into the outer fold of the kimono to be held. Kagome enjoyed examining herself as they finished. It took her breath away, like always, though she must admit she had a slightly harder time breathing than normally. How Europeans survived with corsets was so very, very far beyond her. As she turned, knees pressed together under the restricting fabrics, she noted how fluidly her clothes shifted with her and how the silk glimmered with any light like a fine mist in the sun. Why did these people spend so much money on such fine clothes? She was fitted into a pair of fine tabi and noticed the lack of any forms of shoes.

When she was finished being dressed she was left to step down and compliment their work with ooh's and ah's, then free to leave and explore the o-shiro at her leisure. She knew exactly where she wished to go.

Thinking about how much of a pain Sesshomaru was and getting a good bad mood worked up, Kagome went stalking straight for him, his aura very clear amongst all those to be found there. It wasn't like his felt more powerful or extremely different, she just knew it the best. So, boldly opening a door to argue with him, she noted that he was sitting on the far end of a Japanese style table from her, his mother, Shu Fang, Sheng, Tao, and five others seated at the table as well and flanking Sesshomaru, a handful of servants standing back with pitchers. They all looked at her, and she was a tad embarrassed. She kept a glare on though and looked at Sesshomaru, and-

He was smiling at her... Was it because of what she was wearing?? Did she look ridiculous?!

Everyone looked at him to see what her immense shock was about, but Sesshomaru was back to reading something by the time they turned, and she didn't remain there long enough to see if they'd throw her a questioning look. How DARE he ruin her irked mood with that stupid pretty smile of his!! GAH!!

Having a whole hour to steam off, Kagome was visited by Sesshomaru once his meeting was over, and then she had his ears all to herself for the verbal abuse she wished to give him.

"You look lovely."

She froze, finger raised and mouth open to begin yelling at him. She stomped her foot. "STOP that!!"

He chuckled. "Stop what?"

"You KNOW what, you manipulative jerk!" she yelled. She felt someone approaching. "Sheng, go away for an hour!" Said aura about-faced.

"Impressive," Sesshomaru commented.

"Don't you go complimenting me!" she fired off at him. "I-!"

"Have no reason to be mad?"

She stared at him. "-was NOT going to say that!"

"I see," Sesshomaru began.

She puffed some hair from her eyes. "Don't go acting innocent, either."

He looked delightfully entertained. "Whatever do you mean?"

Oh, this was not FAIR!! "Sesshy! Stop it!"

He looked to be on the brink of laughing at her. "You _are_ insane."

She pursed her lips, which forced her to inhale angrily through her nose. "And you are simply annoying!"

He shrugged. "I fail to see how I could have upset you."

... Seriously? "You made me storm away blushing in front of nine (plus) people, which came after your pompous bidding me a good dream, and now you are just playing with me."

"I am not putting any effort towards humiliating you, or tormenting you," he informed. "If you require, then I can do as much so that you may distinguish for your self when I try."

...

He smirked. "Now, are matters settled?"

"No," she nearly pouted, crossing her arms and thinking about last night. "I'm still annoyed with you."

He gave a thoughtful hum. "The only other thing I can imagine you being annoyed over, is if you truly did enjoy your dream last night and I was correct in all assumptions."

She bristled, and he had one of those 'I win' smirks on his face again.

"Get out."

He blinked at her. "This is my-"

"I don't care, out!" she yelled, creating a barrier and making it grow so that he either stepped out or was forced out. He chose the prior, and she slid the door shut with a slam to enjoy some personal time.

No one can keep a barrier up for ever, if it emanated from themselves and not from an item. Within five minutes of her finally lowering it she felt him nearby again. After ten minutes of that, she stormed out to know exactly why he was 'hovering', and found him having a conversation with Sheng in a room across the hall and two spaced doors down.

"Ah, I see the fair miko has decided to grace us with her presence!" Sheng commented, lifting a cup of sake. "And in formal attire no less! Come, dear, it is due time you learn to drink sake."

Kagome flinched when a servant 'politely' closed the door behind her, then swung her face back forward to glare at the man who set up what she would consider a trap. Sesshomaru she ignored.

"Now then," Sheng began as though she had already agreed to this, "would you like a slow introduction through tea, or just drink it straight until you get used to it?"

"I am not getting drunk with you, old man," she told him.

Sheng looked rather disappointed. "Why not? And being drunk is not the objective, I would highly enjoy company who can appreciate this fine beverage."

"Because it does not seem pleasant in any conceivable manner. That, and I hate sake."

"In other words, she cannot handle it," Sesshomaru supplied, stoic enough to kill. "Let her leave."

Kagome scoffed. "I can too handle it. I just don't want to."

"Then leave," Sesshomaru offered.

"No."

"Then stay and enjoy yourself," Sheng suggested. "I was just telling Sesshomaru what the Goshinboku tree was, since he came here asking."

Kagome's curiosity was struck so precisely that she was surprised no one asked what the 'ding' coming from her head was. So, like any intrigued and notably gullible person, she sat to hear the tale, and was promptly offered a small cup of sake by a servant dressed in simple cotton fabrics. She looked at Sesshomaru out of the corners of narrowed eyes, and he tipped his own cup slightly to her and drank it.

She sniffed, and Sheng chuckled.

"Sesshomaru, drinking a whole cup without squirming?" Sheng asked.

Kagome's eyes widened and she stared at aforementioned lord. "You don't drink sake??"

"It has never suited my tastes," he commented, the servant refilling his cup. "It is easy to grow accustomed to."

She looked from him to Sheng, who shrugged. "I do not recall my acquirement of the taste. It has been far too long to expect such from me."

... She glanced at the seemingly innocent liquid, knowing that each molecule in it bore a spear with which to stab her nerves and create a burn so fierce that she could light candles with her breath. She lifted the cup, swirling it once in a manner of distraction, and then drank it as quickly as she could to avoid looking stupid and hesitant.

Sheng waited, Sesshomaru smirked, and she felt rather achieved. Then the sensation hit, and she did her best to not let her eyes water up as she coughed. Ack! It got up her nose!!

She was sure that, if she saw it, Sheng's expression was priceless when Sesshomaru actually laughed at her, and she swore that if she wasn't in such oral distress that sake cup would have crumpled either in her fist or against Sesshomaru's temple. She blinked her burning eyes to glare at the young lord, and was just in time to see him take another drink.

...

"Kagome, I believe you have had enough," Sheng told her approximately five minutes later. They were right, the taste did get better with time. Minutely.

"Nope!" she replied, putting her cup back to the table for another refill, of which she had lost count long ago. She was doing just fine. Wasn't tipsy at all. Her breath was just hot, that's it. Her face was a little warm too, but that was okay. Sesshomaru looked completely humored, but she noticed a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks. She was NOT going down without a good effort, and he had started drinking long before she did. She had the upper hand, right?

"This is a waste of sake," Sheng commented, watched the two of them like it were a game of chess. "It is to be savored, not chugged in competition..."

"There may be exceptions," Sesshomaru told him. Sheng had tried to shoo the sake bearer away earlier, but since Sesshomaru overruled the man in authority the servant remained and the cocky daiyōkai allowed Kagome to drink as much as she dared. She was considering stopping soon, but the little voice which said 'one more can't hurt' kept giggling in the back of her mind.

Sheng hummed. "Kagome, I hope you are aware of the fact that a yōkai's tolerance, no matter how long they have been drinking, is always at least seven times greater than a human's."

Kagome finished off another cup and cringed slightly. Okay, the taste was getting better, but the feeling... Going down was nearly enough to make her gag. "And a miko's?"

She had both of them blinking.

"Pardon?" Sheng asked.

"A miko's tolerance," she stated.

Sheng considered it, Sesshomaru took another drink. "I suppose, with immense and appropriate training, it would be just as high."

Kagome offered him a smile. "Then let the training begin."

She hated the look Sheng was giving her, like a father with a lecture ready but just waiting for the right time to begin. The old demon regarded the bearer then. "You are dismissed."

"You are not," Sesshomaru countered.

"Sesshomaru."

"Sheng, you are not in the position to be commanding my servants," Sesshomaru informed.

Kagome was fascinated, and watched delightedly.

Sheng gave a hum. "Sesshomaru, have you ever seen a drunk miko?"

Both Sesshomaru and Kagome frowned.

"I'm not drunk," Kagome stated.

Sheng actually rubbed his eyes. "Give you body ten minutes to absorb what you have downed, and yes, you most likely will be."

She blushed. Riiiiight... Facts... She failed to take those into account when Sesshomaru was around...

Sheng looked at Sesshomaru then. "Young Inu no Taisho, I suppose you do not know this, but when one is drunk their judgment becomes impaired, control over emotions loosens, nothing remains sacred, and everything becomes a practical joke. I would not recommend combining those with someone of great power."

... Despite what he was saying, Kagome still felt rather flattered. Great power? Hm. That sounded nice. She didn't think it was that great, but if he said so.

Kagome gave the servant a look, and the poor man looked scared when she turned her attentions to him. "I am done. Thank you for your time."

The man regarded Sesshomaru, who flicked his fingers minutely in a dismissive manner, and then promptly left with bows.

"So," Kagome began when he left, a tad embarrassed. Okay, so she probably did overdo it, since her limbs felt lighter. Hopefully she didn't begin believing in any ability to fly. "If things are going to get messy in ten minutes, then would anyone like to show me the countryside?"

The guys shared a glance.

Wow, it was only noon and Kagome had a fairly decent buzz, most likely suppressed by her burning energy through her body like Sesshomaru had recommended. Today was a good day. Save for someone who was not her choice of company. Did Sheng think that she and Sesshomaru were best of buds or something?

"I must admit, we are hanging out a lot," she began, walking onwards. The snow was hard and weather packed, and she guessed that twigs sticking up at her pretty ankle high boots were actually three foot high saplings. Lots of snow there...

"Amazingly enough," Sesshomaru replied, walking alongside her and more than easily keeping up with the kimono restricted pace. She wanted to get her blood flowing to get things over with, and she was already smiling like an idiot and feeling far too hot for being outside.

"I like it," she told him. "Hanging out, that is. You're more fun outside of that floating castle of yours than inside it."

They walked onwards for a few more seconds in silence.

"How do you feel?"

She grinned at him. "I feel great! A little air headed and light, but that's okay. How do _you _feel?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed through his nose.

"I'm not drunk!" she yelled at him. "Now answer the question, please."

"This Sesshomaru is fine."

"Oh, sure, third person reference," she huffed at him. "We're past that stage, don't be so up tight."

"This Sesshomaru will do as he pleases," he told her a tad sternly.

She snorted. Loudly. "Well, so will 'this Kagome', and 'this Kagome' suggests that 'that Sesshomaru' mellow out and learn to live a little." She giggled at the expression on his face. "You know that was funny."

He frowned at her, so she hooked two fingers in the corners of her mouth and pulled them up into a smile.

He stared, she held her position, and gradually a small smile formed on his face and he looked away and shook his head.

"Hah. I win."

"Do you?" he asked, mildly interested while staring off into the gray, snow canopy woods.

"Yes!" she stated, feeling giddy and completely invincible. It reminded her of that funny fog she, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Hachi got stuck in. If she recalled correctly, there were two tailed duplicates of her, and the three of them were doing the Can Can dance to a hair brush. ... Ah, yes, the good times. "I said that I'm the one who makes you smile, remember?"

"No," he began. "You stated that you are the one who makes me laugh."

"... Oh, right!" she exclaimed. She was about to say something else, but the ground was particularly slippery and she fell flat on her face. Or, would have. She wholeheartedly expected it. Instead, Kagome was lifted back to her feet, and she looked at Sesshomaru before he let her go. "Hah! Aaa-hahahahah!! You mom **said** you would do that!"

... She didn't know what to call his reaction to that. First he was surprised, then suspicious, then angry.

"Oh, I don't think I was supposed to say that," she commented with a hand in front of her mouth, beginning to walk onwards. "Oops. Remind me to apologize to her for that."

"My mother has been visiting you?"

She shivered. It felt like a cold blade of inquiry was just stabbed into her conscience. She turned hesitantly to regard Sesshomaru, and he looked positively peeved.

"Ah..." she began. "... Yep."

His golden eyes narrowed.

She flinched, slightly. "Only twice!"

That didn't help with his mood... "What has she discussed with you?"

"Oh, unbelievable stuff," Kagome explained. "I still haven't fallen for any of it. Don't worry, it's not worth knowing. Trust me."

"Kagome."

She actually jumped in place. Damn, he could sound strict! "... Well, it's about time you used my name!"

"What has she been discussing with you?" he demanded to know, approaching her.

She stuck her chest out. "You don't scare me."

"Not yet," he agreed. "Answer the question."

She smirked. "Alright, alright, cool off, sheesh. She actually thinks that you could ever give a damn about someone else in life, and I really don't think so."

He stopped, thinking, and regarded her.

"What?" she asked him. "It's true. She's probably fantasizing about us having kids as we speak. Poor her, though. Like hell that would happen. You're not even my type, so she better go find you some yōkai from China or something. ... Ha ha, imported brides... Oh, that's funny."

She tried to walk in a straight line for a certain twig, and failed miserably. Yep, it was definitely setting in. Then again, she supposed that her loose tongue was a better clue than her astounding precision in foot placement.

"I have yet to meet a female who does not find me to be handsome and to their liking."

Kagome looked at him, cocked her head, and laughed. She laughed hard and good. "Oh, you spoiled, spoiled brat!" And then she laughed some more, and tried to make another straight line for a different twig. This time she fell over, and her landing was funny as well since her long furisode sleeves had flung about. When she was down to giggles, sitting on the ground, she remembered his statement. "Hm... I know you're handsome, and a lot of women think that power is to their liking and that combining it with good looks is perfection," clicking the snow from her sandals was entertaining while leaning back on one's hands and staring at one's twitching feet, "but you're just... Flat."

"Flat?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "You're 2-D! ... Hm. A long time ago, I was hoping Inuyasha would grow up and see life in a different way. Now I think I'm stuck with dogs who will never grow up."

He looked annoyed.

"Oh, stop pouting," she almost scolded, flopping back to stare at the sky. It was a blue, somewhat cloudy day, and that made her happy. "Sometimes, I wish you would act more human. Like Sheng can."

She glanced sideways when the crunch of snow drew closer, and saw his shoes nearby and his shadow cast over her face. He still looked annoyed.

"What? I do. Maybe being human is a sin in your book, but acting human has its benefits."

"Such as?"

She tilted her head so that his blocked out the sun again and cast her face into his shadow. There, much better. What was the question again? ... Oh, right. "Such as... feeling mortal."

He looked confused, so she rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up. "Do you ever fear death?"

"No," was his arrogant answer.

"I do," she replied while her balance teetered back to her, brushing off and examining the darker wet spots in her kimono. "Do you know why? Because I haven't done everything I want to do in life yet."

He blinked at her, so she smiled.

"You have all the time in the world," she stated fact. "And you can do anything you want with it. Me, I could die tomorrow, from disease, assassination, an accident... Therefor, every day should count, right?"

His brow furrowed, and she giggled.

"To make every day count, humans are emotional. We feel strongly because we live briefly, and we need to pack thousands of years of sensations into a short lifetime that will be remembered only by us."

His expression seemed to soften. "I have told you before, your life does not have to be short."

"Hm," she laughed to herself, testing the dexterity of the icy snow with her foot. "I know. And that's my choice. I can choose to live briefly with everyone I know, or live long and watch them all die while I fail to age... That's why I want to see you be more human."

"... Why?"

"Because, you're not really alive right now," she told him. Oh, he could be thick. She walked up to him, not very prettily either since the ground was trying to lurch out from under her again. He took a step away from her, but she caught him and held herself up by his shoulders. "Kay, this is how it goes," she began, looking at his neck. "You can be alive here," she informed, putting her hand over his heart, "and here," she continued, pointing at his head, which he didn't seem to appreciate. She held his face then, and some little person in the pits of her mind was astounded that he let her do so. "But, you're not alive here. I don't see you happy, or frustrated, or pleased, or sad, or excited at all." She let him go, and swung her hands at her sides to make her long sleeves flap like flags in the breeze as she walked away. "You're just you, and I don't think you'll ever change. So, that's why your mom's wrong about the grandkids."

... She considered her words possibly offensive, so she gave him a big smile to take the edge off of anything. "Not that you can't have a great life with someone else. I wish you many adorable children to yank on your pretty hair all day."

She was breathing a tad heavily, having gotten up and down and been walking, and her obi was too tight. Well, it was supposed to be tight, yes, but it felt too tight. She still wasn't used to breathing like that, and she hadn't been doing it steadily for a while. The ground was still moving anyway and tilting like she were walking on undulating jelly, but she managed.

They had only been there for three minutes, about, and getting there took another three or four. Maybe now, despite her churning energy, she was feeling those stronger effects of drinking too much? ... Hm, maybe. Wait, didn't she already establish that? ... Oye, she was on a loop.

"Hey, Sesshomaru?" she asked, trying to stand still. It was like trying to stay upright on a ship at sea though. Without holes in your feet and a handful of bolts, it just wasn't possible, so she felt herself sway with the Earth. "What do you think of your mom's fantasies?"

...

For some reason, her heart was pounding, which didn't help with the improper breathing and tilting ground. She was anxious to hear his thoughts about it.

"It is preposterous," he began, causing her spirits to sink ever so slightly, "that she think of such things so soon."

So soon... So soon in his life was right. Bodily, Kagome was older than him. A little. Maybe by a few years, since he still looked to be nineteen. She was older, she was different, and it was just preposterous... There, matters settled, time to get on with life.

That weight slowly came down onto her shoulders once again, making her feel heavy enough to sink into the snow. "Yeah, I know, right?"

...

"That did not make sense."

She turned to face him, and he looked so mellow. Emotionless.

She was grinning, but her eyes stung. She quickly looked away. Stupid, stupid eyes and their inappropriate timing... She held her nose closed and tried to breathe through it, but no matter how many times she told herself that such a thing worked it never did. So she fanned her face, sniffed, and looked at the sky. Preposterous. She knew it, but... Hearing it was definitely worse.

She felt a gentle clasp on her shoulders, and was turned to face him.

"... There it is," Kagome stated, looking into his eyes. Her blink sent something hot rolling wet down her face, and it cooled with a breeze. "You look more human right now."

He looked concerned, which was not an appearance associated with him. She had rarely seen him concerned.

Kagome glimpsed a hand lift from her shoulder and it reach for her face. She was so startled that she jerked out of his loose hold and stumbled to a stand some distance away from him. Yanking back like that had shifted her kimono, so now the collars were pressed against the back of her neck when they really should be hanging away. With a sigh, she wiped away her own tears, and walked further from him. She didn't need his help in wiping her face, she could do it herself. She didn't want him touching her like that, because things were preposterous enough.

After a few hundred feet she decided to find a spot so as to have a seat. The horizon was nice to look at. It was white ground, white sky. Clouds were heavy in the air not far off, and the closer to the earth they were the grayer they became. Yay... More snow.. It was still a light blue overhead though.

She lay back with a sigh, the intricate obi knot pushing her upper abdomen and chest out further than usual. There were birds overhead... Briefly... Tiny, singing black birds who fled from the approaching storm.

She folded her arms behind her head and took a calming breath, face staring and eyes closed. The sun was warm, and the ground cold, and she imagined she had about four minutes before her backside began being blotched with dampness.

She had some time to think before the sun was hidden from her face yet again, plunging her into a cool atmosphere. She didn't have to open her eyes to know what it was caused by.

"Are you feeling better?"

She pursed her lips, still disappointed with their conversation. "I'm not sure... I think I have quite a while before the alcohol leaves me..."

She heard him shift. "You will become quite wet laying down like this."

"I know." And she did, but nothing was soaking through yet.

She heard him hum with humor, and then there were hands tucking under her knees and behind her back.

"Hey!" she yelled at him when he lifted her without her permission, reaching out to clasp his shoulders for some form of security. "Put me down, you jerk."

"No."

"No?" she asked, glaring at him. She was shocked to see him smiling at her, and for some reason known only to him he believed that now was a good time to take her lips. It was brief, and warm, and then he pulled away and began to walk as though nothing had happened.

She frowned at him, and smacked his chest. "Stop stealing kisses from me!"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, people who aren't dating shouldn't do that!" she defended her side of the argument.

"I will determine as much for myself," was his reply. He was still smiling, and she smacked his chest again as a warmth spread throughout her. He breathed deeply for reasons of his own, and giving up she lay her face against his left shoulder, her forehead resting against his neck. It was seriously the only comfortable position... Kami, he could be so... Cute. He really, truly could be.

"You're a jerk."

"So I hear," he replied.

"It's amazing that I put up with you."

"It is," he agreed.

She smacked him again, not able to do it very hard for her position. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Acting like this."

"Acting how?"

"Oh, you're so insufferable," she groaned. "Stop pretending to be nice."

He chuckled once, the sound and feel of his mirth vibrating against her. "I am not pretending."

She blushed, holding onto him a tad more tightly. She liked the fact that he didn't have any spare armor around, leaving her free to curl into him. "Then... Stop _being _nice."

"Why?"

"It makes me uncomfortable, that's why," she told him, a tad snippy.

"Then learn to live with discomfort."

She smacked him yet again, then decided to enjoy the feeling of him being so close. She noticed his defined scent, how his fabrics quickly warmed to her touch, how his fingers shifted slightly from where they lay over the far side of her left breast... She blushed furiously at that.

"If you want to grope me, then don't be sneaky about it," she lectured, expecting him to stop his actions immediately as though he were Miroku. She missed them...

"Alright," he accepted as they stepped into the winter laden woods.

"... What do you mean, 'alright'?"

"If you request that I 'grope' you unrestrained, then I will accept your conditions."

She swore her body temperature jumped at that. "That's not what I meant!"

"Really?" he asked, sitting down against a tree. His doing that settled her across his lap, laying in his arms.

She was blushing so furiously that it hurt. "... Why are you doing this?"

He smirked. "Because I wish to."

She frowned at him. "Are you really _that_ spoiled?"

"Yes."

She stared at him, fingers fidgeting on his shoulders. "... Am I drunk?"

"Slightly," he informed, letting her legs drape off and over his as he freed his arm to tuck some hair behind her ear, exposing her neck. "Not enough to impair your judgment."

She swallowed. "That's good to know..."

Kagome thought she was going to die of uncertainty, happiness, and embarrassment all at the same time when he stroked her face. She wanted him to go further, but she didn't want to grow more attached to him than she already was. Her neck almost broke with her desire to turn into his touch and then with resisting said desire.

He smirked, probably knowing exactly what she was feeling. Why was he so bold? Was it something she said? Did he want to do this, or was he teasing her? Would he get her hopes up and then crush them?

She grabbed his hand and held it away from her face, breathing shakily. "Sesshomaru, I can't do this."

He broke into a full smile, not dissuaded in the least, and she swooned. "You want to."

"I know," she agreed, still red in the face. "The body and mind can make two different decisions."

He hummed in consideration, his sights not breaking contact with her own. "Then I will show you as much restraint as you request."

Her heart was racing madly. "Sesshomaru, I-... Why?" His slightly quirked brow asked her to elaborate. "In case you're wondering, I'm not an easy lay, especially when it comes to being in a field of snow."

"I know," he stole her reply. "I do not expect your surrender. Merely your attention."

... Dear kami, his mom was right... Dammit!! Did he really feel something for her, or was this a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am that guys liked to pull?

Her thoughts, worries, inhibitions... Everything froze when he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed her cool fingers, setting them against his chest. "I also expect the pleasure of your company when I have it."

A bonfire ignited inside of her, melting everything in her down to scrap. She felt elated as its heat radiated through her skin. Alright, he could have the pleasure of her company. She'd allow him that. Not the full pleasure of her body though.

Her fingers slid slowly from his hand to the collar of his kimono, shaking slightly as she watched his face for any signs of befuddlement, hesitation, even resistance to surface. They didn't, and passing the edges of the fabric she was free to stroke his skin. He was so warm and firm.

His left arm slid up her back, lifting her closer, and he brought his lips to hers again.

Something frail and evil shattered inside of her in a flash of shivering need, leaving her feeling free. All she thought about was him, the way he held her, how his mouth tried to coax hers to open, the way his left hand tucked into the vent hole in the sleeve of her kimono so he could bypass a layer of fabric in touching her. She paused a moment when she felt his fingers brush curiously against her heating skin, and moaned against his mouth when they continued to slid softly over her silk covered, unbound breast, exploring her and testing her tenderness in a gentle manner she had thought impossible for him. She peeked through her eyelashes when his free hand cupped her right cheek, and for some reason seeing him with closed eyes made the experience all the more arousing. She covered her sapphire irises again and tucked her fingers under the deep V of his kimono, stroking his skin and feeling how very well built he was.

Her heart was pounding as he continued his less than innocent ministrations on her, his free hand caressing her whole left side now from the slope of her neck to the swell of her hip, and she wanted nothing more than to rip their kimonos off and see what happened. That, of course, would be very stupid. When his more docile touch concentrated on the tip of her breast she groaned and inhaled deeply through an open mouth. Sesshomaru allowed her to breathe for a moment, their time spent staring at one another, then he tilted his head to the side and deepened their kiss whether she liked it or not.

There were fireworks, and she felt as though she had a personal fuse just light in celebration. He had never kissed her so intimately before, and it was almost sinfully good, making her rub her knees together for the pulsating need in her abdominal region. She adjusted her hand under his clothing and held where his shoulder merged to his neck to keep her up and him down. Her right hand felt his face, his velvety markings, and his ear came into non-visual focus. She stroked it with her thumb, rubbing his lobe and up the rim.

The most amusing thing happened then. He most certainly didn't pull back, but his entire torso shook with a very pleased sounding growl. She had heard it before, when he decided to act upon that erotic dream of his four years ago, but this one was loud and intentional.

She giggled against his mouth, completely ruining the kiss by smiling. It was worth it though, because when he looked at her he was so dreamy.

"I normally do not like that," he commented, fingers brushing up her neck.

"Really?" she asked, rubbing his ear again. He actually bit his lower lip to keep from making a sound, and she couldn't help but to laugh. "This is fun."

"It tends to be, yes," he agreed. He had a stupid, cute smirk on his face, and she couldn't help but to love it.

"I don't think I'll be blowing up your home any time soon," she commented, worrying her lower lip unnecessarily. Dear lord, she was getting so loose of late... What was up with this? Her mouth was tingling, and she could swear her lips were swelling from all of that attention. "You can take me back."

"In due time," he replied, taking full advantage of her being in his lap and bringing his mouth to her neck where his hand once was. She was only a little grossed out by how unique a feeling it was to have her skin licked. Twice. Then her face relaxed and her abdominal muscles shivered as his mouth closed around a select area and began to suck.

"I bruise more easily than yōkai," Kagome warned, amazed at how she felt like jelly and held him against herself. He lightened up on her, but not by much, and her fingers began to explore as much of his torso as his bound kimono allowed. She was glad that his sash was less binding than her obi, because she could feel down his side and stroke his abdomen quite easily. A giggle escaped her when he growled again. She could get used to this.

"I just thought of something," she stated, trying not to laugh. "Isn't your rear soaked from sitting in the snow?"

He chuckled, and pulled away from her skin. "Yes. It is."

Their unrestrained laughter warmed her to no end, and she smiled up at him.

"Hm. So, I have to kiss you and let you feel my chest to get you to loosen up?"

He grinned. "It seems to work."

She made a note of that...

The time to return was now due, but first they needed to adjust their clothing. She was rather impressed with how much she had gotten his fabrics askew. It had seemed innocent enough at the time.

"Turn and raise your arms," he told her.

"What, are you going to tickle me?" she asked, since it was the first thing she had thought of.

"Your juban is crooked. Let me fix it."

She looked down quickly, and found that it was far more than crooked. The bases of the V necklines were supposed to line up perfectly to the middle of her body, and this... One whole side of her juban was missing, for kami's sake!

She turned and lifted her arms up for him, and he had to lower them from over her head to parallel with the ground before tucking his hands into her sleeve vents from behind.

She breathed heavily and sighed when he couldn't help but rub against her breasts again. It was enough to make her blush once more, and she saw his face lean over her shoulder to judge where her juban should lay.

She glanced away, not wanting him to see how much his touch affected her, which was preposterous, she knew that. When he finished he smoothed the front of her kimono, which didn't help her facial expression at all, and as she refused to look at him she got her ear nibbled.

"Ah!" she exclaimed shortly, smiling and tilting her ear away from him. She liked his playful side, though she had to get used to it to say the least.

"So, what inspired that session?" she asked, sitting next to him as he held an arm around her. They were on their way back.

He had the nerve to just shrug in reply. "Do you regret it?"

She sucked in her lips, which were indeed a tad swoolen, then grinned. "Not really."

"Neither do I."

She felt so secure when he held her more tightly to his side. Why did they change like that? If their association were a book, then they just skipped from page twelve to eighty. The really funny thing though was that doing as much didn't bother either of them. Kagome felt quite comfortable with it, and actually began to wonder if things between them would continue to change, or if they just liked the feel of one another's bodies.

She smiled when his mother's words echoed in her head. She hadn't agreed to 'open up' to Sesshomaru if he did anything on the list, which was all done in a day, but she supposed it couldn't hurt. Right?

She sighed, and relaxed anew against him. Deep down, she really hoped that this wasn't just a fling...

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I got my first flame from a Kagome/Inuyasha fanatic and deleted it. The idiot just clicked on the first chapter to Spring Fever and wrote it. Is that normal?? WHO has the time of day to go around looking for Sesshomaru/Kagome stories to write that in?? It's disgusting how much of a waste of everyone's time it is. Besides, I've turned myself anti-Kagome/Inuyasha. I mean, dear lord if I was in Kagome's shoes and trailing after some half demon who's trailing after a dead memory for so long, then I'd say 'screw you' and start going for someone else! Sorry to say, but Inuyasha has at least a hundred years of growing up left to do.

Alright, I'll stop the rant there. Quite a long chapter, no? Thirty three pages! I was rather shocked at how it (immensely gradually) finally wrote itself and skipped to so many different things, but somewhere deep inside the confinements of my mind the muse was giggling gleefully, so I went with it and BOOM.

Sorry this took so incredibly long to update! I'm in the middle of moving out to California for college, so I don't know how often I can update from now on. I'm not going to give up on this story though, in case anyone is wondering. It **will** be finished. :D

Thanks for reading! Review, please!


	13. I Love You

**A/N:** Alright, whoever is reading this after reading all of Spring Fever and what there is of Midwinter Dream, you guys are crazy, and I admire you. FYI: those two stories combined, after this chapter, come to over four **hundred** pages! **FOUR_ HUNDRED_**!! I stopped reading the Harry Potter series because the books were too drawn out, and now I have readers who can read _everything_ I've written in one sitting?? -goes insane- I... I can't even _fathom_ being able to do that. You guys are absolutely amazing. I personally read as quickly as I can speak (which is probably why I speak faster than most people...). Reading my _own_ story would take me **days**, so when I get news from people on the lines of 'I just read S.F. and what you have of this story, and now I'm going to bed'... I swear, my heart stops for a few seconds. I'm not kidding. Then I begin to laugh insanely, but that's beside the point.

Also, some OOC'ness. I know, bad me, but trust me when I say that I tried _everything_ else, and the second to last scenario only worked as is. I hope that it's not too jarring, and yes I did try other approaches so I'm not throwing excuses around. :D

Alright. That is all. Enjoy unlucky number thirteen! XD

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**I Love You**

"Okay," Kagome began, talking to herself yet again. She was pacing circles and feeling very plagued. "... Okay."

She had thought that, upon arrival at the o-shiro after their fondling session, things would go back to 'I'm a stoic prick' and 'I hate stoic pricks' personalities. Well, the catch to that is she can't hate him if he's not acting the way he usually does...

She hadn't been able to erase her blush for hours, and she swore that Fate was having a blast at her expense.

"... Okay..."

They parted ways just fine a little past midday. He watched her leave, and she knew that because she had glanced back at him, but aside from that visual exchange it was completely normal. An hour later, she caught him coming into the soccer room, as she deemed it since it was used for no other purpose, and he had a conversation with the already present Sheng and watched her. Thanks to the attention divisive vice being _right __**there**_,she had never been hit with a ball more times in her entire life. She got fed up with that, went over to them, and was offered water. It was really weird to talk to Sheng in front of Sesshomaru, for some highly evasive reason. Probably because she was talking about altered soccer rules and was pink in the face no matter how much she had reclaimed her breath. Her cheery tint left when the newly established Inu no Taisho took his leave.

After her daily dose of child tolerance training, she retired for the afternoon and left for her room. Once there, she drank some tea, changed into a yukata for a robe, and was on her way to the baths to scrub off sweat and to have a nice, long, male-less soak. She had been quite relaxed and looking forward to breathing in herbal steam until she saw him. Sesshomaru was walking in the opposite direction and approaching, probably heading for Sheng's temporary residence (wherever the man's permanent residence was...), and he remained in the damned middle of the three-people-wide hall. She stepped to the right and they proceeded to pass one another. Kagome was a tad embarrassed and wanted to look away from him, then something happened and she slowly came to a stop. Her... ... Her hand was fondled so quickly that it seemed imaginary... Save for the fact that her skin was left tingling.

"Did you just-?" she began asking with an accusatory tone set. When she had rounded on him he was smirking at her, so she turned and scurried away. That jerk was _enjoying_ making her squirm, _wasn't _he! Oooh! The nerve! She realized that her recently clasped hand was against her lips, and so yanked it away and made a beeline for the hot waters ahead. The women maintaining the baths had decided that she needed a massage to relax, which left her to go to her room with a very light head and take a nap. She was hesitant upon waking to look around for the possibility of Sesshomaru being in there again. He wasn't been, so she got up and paced.

"Okay," she finished, back to square one and turning to pace in the other direction. In times like these, when she really couldn't think to save her life, she talked to herself. "How am I today?" She talked to herself badly. Like she had a therapist in her head. That woman could get annoying sometimes, too. "I'm fine, thank you! A little nervous, but I think things will work out in the end." "That's good." "No, it isn't... I'm lying to myself." "Now, now, you know you shouldn't do that." "I know, but it's so hard not to when you have Mr. Smexy stealing kisses from you and smiling all over the place and keeping an eye on you." "I can understand that... Do you like him?" "What?!" "Okay, I'll ask that later. Do you think he likes you?" She blushed. "Alright, let's phrase it this way instead. DOES he like you?" "I don't know! That's the whole problem!" "Well, why don't you sit down and take a breather then?"

She did just that. "That's it, just calm down and think things through." "Well, I've BEEN thinking for a while, and I can't make sense of anything! I mean, if he were normal, then I'd say yes, to everything, but he's _not_! He. Is. Not. Normal. He's different from me, and I'm different from him, and... And it just wouldn't work. Well, there's always the thoughts that it could, and the what-ifs, but it's not like that guy's going to melt or anything anytime soon, and I just can't... I can't think." "Well, that's probably because you're thinking too much on one little part. Did you ever start from the beginning?" "... No, I haven't. Well, I have, but I keep interrupting myself with the present." "Well, why don't you try again, then get back to me with the results." "Sounds good. Thanks."

She sighed, jabbed her elbows into her knees, plopped her face into her hands, sighed again and stared at the wall ahead.

...

...

She felt eyes on her back...

"You are absolutely insane."

Kagome shrieked, shooting to her feet and turning to see a very humored Sesshomaru leaning against the wall by the door.

"YOU!"

"Me."

She blinked. "I talk to myself, yes. Only when I can't figure something out!"

He had a small smile on his face, as per usual.

"How... How much did you overhear?"

"Plenty."

She blushed furiously. "... When did you start listening?"

"Since you first said 'okay'," he replied. "You fail to be observant when you are troubled."

She was mortified and scrubbed her hands through her still damp hair. "Did you _have_ to listen?! That was a _very_ personal conversation, and YOU weren't invited!"

He looked rather smug. "What, exactly, is a 'Mr. Smexy'?"

She swore her eyes were so wide that she could look down and they'd fall out of their sockets. "I... Am NOT telling you!"

Kagome actually saw his teeth with his next smile, and it did wonders for the breaking stability of both her legs and sanity. Her heart got more exercise being around that man than if she were an athlete.

"... Would you mind leaving?"

"Not at all," he replied.

She waited. ... Then glared. "Now?"

"Eventually," he replied.

She scoffed at him. Fine. If he wanted to play games, then let him. "You enjoy making me miserable, don't you."

"This Sesshomaru takes pleasure where it can be found."

She was so overwhelmed by the memory of their most recent, and quite pleasurable, pastime from earlier that she didn't even snap at him for going into third person.

"Well, first off, that wasn't a question, and second off, please stop it," she requested, her anger quelled under a few other emotions. "I hate being angry at people. And you take all the fun out of it by winning the arguments and enjoying me being mad."

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to speak, that particular 'let's make the miko angry' glint in his eyes, and she interrupted him. "So, _do _you?"

She must admit, she caught him quite off guard. Hell, she caught _herself_ off guard. But now that the topic was up...

"Don't give me that look," she scolded him. Can't back down. Can't do it. Must... Ask... Question... ... "You overheard plenty of my conversation to myself. You know what I'm asking." Oye... She couldn't ask it... Not if he knew it...

He needed a moment to think about it. Realization dawned on his face and dread settled in her as a counterbalance, and for some reason he squared his shoulders to the thought. "On what level?"

A feeble grin flickered on her face. Probably disbelief. Yeah, the jerk knew what she was talking about. How could he NOT? The guy could analyze days worth of reading in twenty minutes and give corrections, for kami's sake, of COURSE he knew what she was referring to... She couldn't believe she was initiating _and_ continuing this. "Just, do you like me? _At all?_ Say, 'like me' versus 'hate me'. Which one?"

He kept a straight face, which spoke a lot more than some cocky grin she was expecting. "I do not hate you."

She smiled. She didn't know why that sounded so good.

"Do not play games," Sesshomaru told her, giving her cause to regard him again. She didn't notice having looked away. "If you have a specific question, then ask it."

She smiled at him, and shook her head. "I can't. Not yet."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Here's a different question though," she perked up. "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "I am being interrogated, apparently."

She giggled. "Kagome, the miko who interrogates yōkai. I like it."

Sighing with resignation, she deemed herself a fool for not having the nerve to ask a guy if he was romantically interested in her, and decided to flop onto the bed belly-up so her head was the closest thing to him. No matter his personality or his status, he _was_ just a guy, and guys could answer simple questions just like girls could ask them.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking," she stated, currently rubbing her temples the figure out the finer points of how she had just contradicted herself. "Care to join me? The bed's big enough."

A few seconds later she heard the shift of his clothes, then felt the suppression of the mattress. She glanced over, and he was mimicking her position. On his back, hands to his temples, and looking at her. They were like Yin and Yang.

For some reason, that was the most hilarious sight on earth. She snorted, trying not to laugh, but ended up giggling so hard that she shook silently with mirth. When she could take a breath it came out as a 'haaaaa-haha' and she looked at him again.

Sesshomaru was just watching her, innocent as could be. Damn him.

"Hm. You're usually gravely offended when I laugh at you," she commented.

"Indeed," was his reply. "Such as when you kindly woke me up one morning."

Kagome's mood bloomed in her chest, and she gave a warm hum for it. "You know that was funny."

"It was disgraceful."

"Hence its hilarity," she clarified while chuckling, making her words choppy. She forced herself to calm down, but she still couldn't erase her smile. "Were you really thinking about that just now?"

He answered with the small uprise of his expression.

She was invaded by the spirit of mischief then. "Hm. You remind me of Keiji."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. He'd always be there when I wasn't looking, and we'd hang out like this." Sesshomaru's face returned to its normal composure. "He would also take me out to go eat and would buy me things I liked, but the one reason you sometimes remind me of him is that he's tried hundreds of times to steal a kiss from me. He's never succeeded though. Does that bother you, Sesshy?"

He looked a tad displeased. "Not in the least."

She did a damn good job of not laughing at him. She teased him instead. "Haha. You **do** like me."

"Do I?" he asked testily.

"Yes. You do," she answered him with a smirk. "And unlike with Keiji, I'll let you."

He perked up. She could actually see it in his every so vague expression. Hah, and he probably thought he was getting away with it, too.

"After all," she began anew, now staring at the ceiling so that she could smile at something rather than him, "you deserve at least that for being the only man to ever, _ever_ steal a kiss from me. Multiple times, no less. I still don't know how you do it so damn easily, either. It's rather anno-"

She'd have continued, but there was a face hovering over hers. A very pretty, silver framed face with the oddest birthmarks she had ever seen.

"It is rather easy to do," he commented, looking down at her. And just as though they were lifelong lovers he stole her lips briefly for the ump'teenth time. "See?"

"You cheat," she stated up to him. How... How DARE he! And how dare her for letting it happen!

"How?"

"... You just do..." she sighed, a tad vexed. "So, I'll take it that you _do_ like me?"

Her answer was a slow initiation to another grope session, and she was so illogically happy that she didn't even keep her top on for it. Not that she was the one to take it off, the guy had very persuasive hands... The pants stayed though, because he wasn't _that_ persuasive no matter how much he tried. She had struck a bargain with him that she'd keep her pants on if he took his own top off, and everything was simply splendid after that. Especially when she got him to growl. That was **fun**.

Since that night, she was the happiest person on the face of the planet, and everyone knew it, too. She was happy with the children, with strengthening that forsaken seal, even with Jaken returning on Ah-Un and with him demanding to know why the hell she was there. She was pleased with everything in life, and Sheng, in particular, knew it.

"Let me guess," Sheng began when he caught her humming on her way to soccer-hell. "The pants stayed on, right?"

She only smiled. "How did you know?"

He grinned back. "I got a non-verbal complaint about it."

That one kept her laughing for the rest of the day.

She was starting to thing that Sesshomaru was beginning to settle into his age once again, which happened to be a testosterone filled male on the prowl for a good time. Well, she was an estrogen filled female looking for the same thing, so that was perfect. She just didn't want to risk having sex. Anyway, he began visiting her more frequently, which should have been impossible, and by the time the second night before their fight came they were sitting together and chatting again.

"So," she began when their prior conversation reached its natural end, "what are we going to do about the fight to the death?"

"You are still welcome to forfeit," he supplied, taking a drink of tea. It almost seemed like instinct on Jia's behalf to have left two cups that night. And the night before...

"As are you," Kagome replied, grinning at his slight frown. "You're not going to soften me up with a few kisses, Sesshy. I'll fight just as hard as you do, and you damn well better expect no less from me."

He smirked, his expressions quite warmer of late. Those looks made her happy, and he learned that her being happy opened the door to happy sessions, so he smiled a lot more in front of her. "I would have it no other way."

"Good," she replied. "I'm glad we've reached an understanding on that. Now, seriously, what are our options for, say, calling off the fight?"

He practically scoffed, but made it sound dignified in the way only he could achieve. And maybe his mother. In fact, he probably picked it up _from_ his mother... "They are non-existent, should you remain so hell bent on not forfeiting. Only violated terms can cancel it."

"And what are the terms?"

He actually shrugged.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" she demanded. "How _couldn't_ you know?!"

"It is not every day that a fight is interrupted," he replied. "Normally, people would never intervene in a fight to the death with 'technicalities' of 'cheating'. You cannot cheat in a fight, save for creating a false pretense of there having been a form of cheating."

That reminded her of that brat from kendo lessons... He was giving her a pointed look, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "I was name-calling, not declaring. There should be a difference."

"There is," he supplied. "Apparently, the council chose to ignore that fact."

... She was shocked. Did they think, that long ago, that she and Sesshomaru liked one another and forced the fight to stop?? That was... That was brilliant, and yet so annoying!! She was going to have a word with Sheng about that.

"Well," she began later on, "I'm not sure what to talk about anymore... Want to do something?" He actually gave her a mischief tainted smile, and it made her giggle. "OTHER than that!"

"Your scent says you would not mind."

"My scent is part of my body, which, as I have stated before, can make irrational decisions."

"Ah. It is, however, your conscience which controls the aspects of your scent. Meaning, you do not mind either way you look at it."

She balked. "You are such a manipulative jerk."

"You enjoy it," he stated.

"And why would I?" she asked, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Because my being the way I am gives you someone to blame for your taking of pleasure."

... He had a point... And she had a very silly grin. "Prove it."

Kami, he was great at proving certain points... Within thirty seconds he had her on her back and thinking that this was all his fault, despite how much she loved touching his body, and she was shown how very lovely kisses could be when they were placed somewhere other than her face and neck. After a full ten minutes she had to practically shun him away before she allowed things to go any further. He tried to be manipulative again, but she, very eventually, wriggled from him and sloppily put her top back on after reclaiming it from the floor.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, smirking at her as she stared from afar at how absolutely gorgeous he was on her bed with the upper portion of his clothes draped around his waist.

"To take a plunge in the local pond," she told him thickly, her blood pounding in her ears. He was so pretty... So unbearably willing to take things further... Kami, she was a fool... A very, non-pregnant fool...

He blinked. "It is barely above freezing outside."

"Good," she stated, closing the door to let him think about it by himself in her room. In reality, she was off to take a bath, despite how many sinful images there were plaguing her mind.

"Shall we fetch a man to give you a massage?" one of the bath attendants inquired.

"No, thanks," Kagome replied, now stuck with the thought of a half dressed Sesshomaru massaging her... She didn't know that someone could smell lustful. Then again, why couldn't they? "If your noses hurt, you can just leave me here to soak. I won't need help in relaxing."

For some reason, she had expected Sesshomaru to make an appearance in the bath room with some ridiculous excuse as to why he could be there, such as the o-shiro being his... When he didn't visit her, she found herself to be relieved yet slightly disappointed, which was ridiculous. It was evening when she found herself in bed, trying to get to sleep. She couldn't cease her rolling though, and thoughts plagued her. By what must have been early morning she forced herself out of bed. She had thought that Sesshomaru would visit again, but apparently he had better things to do.

That was fine. She'd just go and visit him instead. It would be an appropriate change in routine, anyway.

Still, she found herself quite nervous to go see him... Would that be saying too much? ... Of course not. _He's_ been doing it enough for the both of them. If anything, he should _expect_ her to visit him! Yes, exactly. That was her excuse. If he was asleep, that was her line for him. That he should have expected it. ... Not that pushing him out of bed again was entirely forbidden in her opinion

After a few minutes though, Kagome breathed in deeply, exhaled slowly, and still couldn't bring herself to open her bedroom door. It was the dead of night -er, morning- and considering how little the man slept she was pretty sure that her worry of waking him up was completely ridiculous, let alone her worry of being caught going to his room...

She took another long inhale, stared at the door, and looked away with a scoff at herself.

"Alright!" she yelled, rounding on her heel so she faced her obstacle again. "Let's do this."

She touched it, and walked away and jumped into bed. "Yes. Let's do this tomorrow..."

She got barely any sleep, and her wakeup call was feeling someone stroking her left side.

Before she even thought of anything else there was a 'smack' and she was sitting up and glaring down. Sesshomaru did not look amused.

She blinked, then covered her mouth, then laughed. "Did I slap you?!"

"Yes. You did," he informed.

"Well, you deserved it," she told him, yawning. "You don't just go sneaking into someone's bed and begin feeling them up."

"Why not?"

She blinked at him, her vision blurry from what she referred to as eye snot. It was a childhood thing... "Because you get slapped for it."

"Always?"

"Usually," she replied. "It depends on how expected it is."

He smirked, propped on his side. "And if you were fully expecting it?"

"Then I would have made sure to slap you harder."

He chuckled. She melted. "So there is a zone between being aware and unawares?"

"Yeah," she replied. "You're usually really good at finding it, too."

"It is simply the element of surprise," he informed.

"I'll say," she commented. Kagome suddenly tensed, sensing the inevitable, and began scooting away. Her waist was caught by one hand -one hand!- and she was brought back to the bed. "I am not surprised!"

She was kissed.

"Whatever you call it is none of my concern," he told her.

She couldn't help but to smile. This guy... He was so... So _him_, yet different. "If you were anyone else, I'd have kicked your ass by now."

His rumbled mirth hummed against her chest, and she squirmed. "_If_ you could beat me."

She frowned at him. "I almost did... And it is _you_ who can't beat _me_, Mr. Let's Melt Her Into Some skulls And See What Happens."

"That was a long time ago," he began, rubbing his cheek to hers and nuzzling her ear. Kami, he was good at this... He wanted some, badly, and she knew that if she ever gave it to him he'd forget about her within the week, if not the day. The ball was in her court so long as her sanity was in her head and not fluffing around through the air to pop the little pink hearts.

She shivered, stroking the now familiar slope of his neck. It was odd to think that it was familiar now, when a week or two ago it was absolutely forbidden. ... Well, hell, _he_ started it. "You still tried to kill me back them."

"Merely to rid myself of a nuisance," he informed.

"Is that what I am?" she asked.

"No," he answered honestly, leaning past her face to wrap his soft lips over the opposite side of her neck, under her right ear. She gave a silent gasp and closed her eyes. He... Had NO right... To be this- goodness, she was going to get a hickey first thing in the morning. ... Oh well. She didn't care, she wasn't going to interrupt him. And she had completely forgotten what they had been talking about.

"So, we're doing this first thing in the morning now, too?" she asked, trying to at least get into a position which would deny her the fires of his touch. She failed miserably, and he simply got more creative every time she squirmed.

"If you insist."

She giggled, and finally got him to stop and look at her. "What do you expect me to think of you after this?"

That annoying smile of his... Kami, he was a _beautiful_ man...

"This one time in particular?" he asked. She felt the all too familiar tug of the hem of her shirt being gathered, and she put a hand down to keep the fabric from going up.

"Not exactly," she replied, giggling. He really was a teenager... A very regal, royal young man in his sexual prime and oh so good at getting her blood boiling. "Hm. Ah, Sesshomaru? Would you mind trying to not undress me?"

"Yes, I would," he responded, pulling her collar aside to explore another of her more sensitive spots with is mouth.

He made it hard to think... "Well, would you pl-Ah!... Please, stop. For sixty seconds, you can even count if you'd like."

He pulled away, waiting for her to say what she needed to.

"So," she began, tingling all over and flushed. "You don't hate me?"

He sighed. "We have already established this."

"I know," she told him. "It's just that... I don't want to feel like you're using me before tomorrow comes..."

She was surprised to see him amused. "If I wished to 'use' you, with no regards for your comfort, then I promise that you would not like me in the least."

She swallowed. Alright, she supposed that despite her strength, he was quite strong enough to take advantage of her.

"In other words," he continued, worry penetrating her features, "you have nothing to fear."

Nothing to fear... ... She could live with that... The only actual fear she had at the moment was getting with child, which her dazzled mind considered a small price at certain times these days, but when she was left alone to sleep it off she ended up kicking herself, knowing that no matter how much things looked to be a certain way, they weren't. He'd never be hers, and she'd never be his, and she feared that she was beginning to think otherwise. Pretending was fun though. Besides, she could play now, since she had nothing to fear from him, and if she knew one thing about Sesshomaru, it was that he never lied. That, or he was never caught...

She grinned and pulled his face back down to hers. Tomorrow would come, but she was living in the present. She wasn't going to stick herself in the future again after waiting four years to be in the time she was now... Tomorrow would come, and she would have sweet memories of 'yesterday' when it did.

A little while later, Sesshomaru pulled away, his ears actually shifting ever so slightly.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, abruptly noticing how loose her pants felt. Damn that sneaky man... She couldn't sense anything, and her hearing wasn't nearly as good as hi-

"Gotcha!"

Her heart stopped as the door ceased opening, and she glanced slowly around Sesshomaru's arm to see Sheng.

He waved, a huge smile on his face. He looked so innocent, watching Sesshomaru and her.

Kagome shrieked and forced the door shut with her energy. "You dirty old man!" she yelled at him, now sitting up and clutching the blankets to her front. "If you EVER do that again, I'll be sure that you NEVER know the pleasures of a woman EVER again! **Do** you **hear** me!!"

"He does," Sesshomaru assured her. She turned her gaze onto him, and for some reason he was _smiling_...

"That **wasn't** funny!" she informed him. "How DARE that hentai walk in like that!"

"Should he have expected something else?" Sesshomaru asked.

"He-!" ... She narrowed her eyes at him. Oh yes, Sheng knew what clothing stayed on. "I swear on my life I will never, ever, in my entire existance, EVER have sex with you if you keep talking with him about us!"

Sesshomaru seemed to find that quite hilarious, since he laughed.

"Stop that!" she yelled, smacking the side of his arm and still clutching the blankets to herself with one hand. "That's it, get out! I need to eat anyway!"

"I would rather forget the man and continue," Sesshomaru stated, taking Kagome's hand from under her and making her fall back down.

"No!" she told him firmly, almost like scolding a dog. "You went too far, Sesshomaru. I keep my pants on, remember?" She swore, if she hadn't been so lazy in changing last night then she'd have been wearing some easily pull down pajama bottoms rather than doubly tied hakama, which were _loose_, that blasted, arrogant, discrete, pretty, handsome, sexy, powerful... She was getting off topic, and badly.

"I remember," he stated. "They are still on."

"The ties are loose!" she snipped at him. That knot wouldn't have been undone with what they were doing.

"Indeed," he replied.

"Why?" she prompted, still scolding.

He smirked, and tried to drop the matter by continuing where they had left off. She was about to yell at him, but she felt fingers tuck into the liberated gap in the side of her hakama, and they touched the skin of her hip and stroked back for her bottom.

She was so very mortified and turned on that she swore something broke in her brain. That was it.

With some heavy duty persuasion, he left, and she was free to eat and be beaten up by a soccer ball before she saw Sesshomaru again.

"Yes?" she asked, walking up to him. Sheng had wisely avoided her so far that day. How dare the old coot sneak in like that! Even _if_ yōkai were intimately carefree -and if they were, heaven help her- he had **no** right to do that, and she was still mad at him. Kagome swore she was going to backhand the ages out of him!

Sesshomaru shrugged. She remembered when that little movement of his seemed so inappropriate for him. Now, she usually expected it. "Merely witnessing the finesse a miko may have in handling yōkai children."

"Why? Think I'll have any one day?" she teased, not expecting an answer. She didn't get it, either. "Does your silence mean 'yes', Sesshy?"

His eyes smiled, but nothing else. The public eye was always on him... "It means I am impartial to the topic."

"Oh? Then why are you here?"

He laughed silently once. "The last time proved to be quite entertaining. Your evasive skills lack tremendously."

"You were distracting me," she snipped.

"This Sesshomaru did not make more than eye contact with you."

"... Well, you're not human, so you can't understand."

He analyzed her. "That is a cheap excuse and is not accepted."

She shrugged, acting cute and innocent. "Alright. Whatever you say, Lord Sesshy."

He never did like that nickname... Well, he didn't cherish nicknames in general.

Doodling with a brush and ink, she glanced up from her wet masterpiece of hazardous strokes to greet Sheng. She'd let him approach, but she was going to bite his head off.

"About your impending fight," he began after sliding open the door and peeking his face in, "it has been canceled."

She blinked, and he pulled away and closed the door.

"Wait!" she yelled, scrambling up from the small table and yanking the door back open. "Sheng! Wait a second!"

He stopped walking. "Yes?"

She finished running up to him. "What do you mean it's been canceled??"

A small smile played across the old yōkai's lips. "A term has been violated. That is all."

She blinked. "A term? What term did I violate??"

"It was not done by you," Sheng supplied.

She groaned with frustration. "Will you PLEASE tell me the who, what, when, where, and why so I understand?"

Sheng's eyebrows rose slightly, and pursed his lips. "In that order, Sesshomaru violated the terms when you last went to Mount Fuji with him. The why of it I do not know."

She stomped her foot and actually grabbed Sheng's collar. "WHAT did he DO to violate it?!"

"Ah, that's an easy answer!" Sheng laughed. Kagome got poked in the right clavicle then. "Did that hurt?"

She stared at him. "... No?"

"That is what he did then," Sheng replied, as though that answered everything.

She literally growled at him. "Fine, then clarify what the term was!"

"It was established that you would not be assisted with healing and left to mend on your own for one month before the fight resumed," Sheng explained. "Sesshomaru did not heed those words, despite him having been right there to hear them. Though I must admit he was rather angry at the time, with your pretty little hands burnt into his neck and all..."

Oh right... She had done that... That brought a smile on her face. Yeah, so was good, and he deserved it. "So, that's it then? No more fight?"

"Correct," he said.

"Does Sesshomaru know?"

"He should," Sheng replied. "He is fully capable of remembering such things and abiding by them."

"Right..." Kagome replied, sucking in her lower lip. Sesshomaru didn't know... There was no way they'd have had those conversations if he knew... "Okay then. Thanks for telling me."

Sheng nodded. "Now, if you would kindly remove your hands, I have a fine lady waiting to undress me."

She was shocked, and instantly released his collar. "Alright, have fun then." He gave her a thumbs up and continued on his way. "By the way!" she yelled. "I'm still annoyed with you for walking in like that!"

"Don't be," Sheng replied, still walking onwards and waving the back of his hand at her. "A visual is nothing compared to the scent the two of you give off!"

She swore she died of humiliation, then and there. She had completely forgotten the smell factor... That was a great explanation for why yōkai weren't embarrassed by intimacy...

How embarrassing.

That night Sesshomaru failed to visit her again, and she was left to pace between her bed and the door once more. She didn't know why she had this pressing need to see him, or why she was so weak that she would give in to it. Now she had a far better excuse though. She had news for him. And... She had reached a decision. She was going to tell him how she felt, because if he didn't feel the same then she was more than free to leave. She had been kept there for a full month as a means of safeguarding her for the duel. No fight meant no restraints though, so she could steal Ah-Un and leave whenever she liked. It was good to know she had that as an option, and thanks to it she was going to tell him...

She finally turned on her heel and grabbed the door of her room.

The wood felt heavy in her grasp when she tugged it loose from its resting place. It slid easily open though, and her lead filled legs decided to take themselves for a walk. Good, because she didn't want to turn back around after making it this far. She was off to find Sesshomaru, and she was going to talk to him about things. She wasn't going to be mad or hardheaded about anything. She was going to talk to him in a civil manner, like any mature woman would, and she had a feeling that he was going to talk back. She had a good feeling about that, but something was annoying her. For some reason, that ominous warning twinge was rippling through her. Its timing couldn't be worse, so she did the most illogical thing and just ignored it.

Her heart danced nervously in her chest, making it hard to breathe yet setting her blood racing. That combo made her feel light headed, and she wafted almost in a daze forward.

After the first thirty feet, when an intersection of hallway presented itself, Kagome decided it would be good to let her senses seek out the daiyōkai. She found him, and turned down the next corridor.

"Kagome?"

She flinched and looked back quickly enough to send her hair twirling over her shoulder. She smiled at Sheng, who had just stepped out of a room to greet her. She noted the shadow of a woman lifting herself out of the bed hit the rice paper door when a candle was lit inside, and Sheng looked a tad disheveled, yet still dressed. That lucky man...

"Hey," she smirked, blushing over having seen that.

He didn't seem amused, for some reason. A second later though he plastered a smile on his face, and that set Kagome off. "Hello. Where are you off to?"

"Um, to talk with Sesshomaru, actually," she replied. His smile faltered, but not in the way one would expect. The light in his eyes dimmed briefly, and that was all. Kagome caught it though, after more than two months of looking for vague facial expressions, and she felt that something was wrong.

"Well, he has retired for the evening," Sheng supplied, almost nonchalantly. "Care to see him tomorrow? I'm sure he would be far less than pleased with being awoken."

She felt her brows knit closer together. "... Is something wrong?"

"Of course not, dear," he replied. "Why would something be wrong?"

Dear? Kagome felt scared. Something was up. She didn't know what it was, but the facts all pointed to Sesshomaru. Her uncertainty, Sheng's distracting, his mild reactions, the second aura she sensed next to Se- ...

Kagome felt her jaw drop, and she felt something break deep inside her chest. She lifted a hand, as though it would catch the pieces, but she couldn't pass through skin.

Sheng noticed this, and sighed. "Kagome, listen, it's-"

"Shut up!" she yelled at the old yōkai. He was actually shocked when she wheeled around on her heel and began to run for Sesshomaru's room, the sleeves of her haori flapping softly against her sides. She didn't want to see what she suspected, but she needed to. She needed to confirm it before she could acknowledge its possibility, and before she could acknowledge anything else in her life. She needed to solidify this feeling of betrayal before it established all on its own and on uncertain grounds.

The hallway blurred slightly from her unbidden tears, but she wasn't sniffling or shaking. She was actually cursing herself for feeling so hurt over such a vague suspicion, especially since there was nothing admittedly real between them. But... Kagome was livid. She was actually too angry to be mad, and she needed to prove to herself that she didn't have any reason to be hurt. None at all...

Sesshomaru's bedroom door was far easier to open than hers had been, and she found herself staring unabashed into a moonlit room.

The clatter and slamming of the door had Sesshomaru sitting up and looking around, his glowing yellow eyes taking in the sight of her.

Kagome gave a weak smile, seeing him with sleep roused hair, and she hurried to remember her excellent excuse for having awoken him. The more she looked, the worse she felt. Slowly, that smile shivered downwards. There were too many things out of place. Sesshomaru was wearing no yukata for the night. In fact, it was strewn carelessly on the ground, and despite his having been asleep his eyes were wide and his body stiff for reasons she barely wanted to know. He didn't look tired at all, he looked... He looked like something bad was about to happen, and he was going to witness it.

Kagome's smile strengthened briefly, getting ready to ask something lame like 'is there a ghost behind me'. Something shifted behind him though, catching her eye. Something alive, and feminine. She felt her spirits plunge far lower than her body could allow when night hidden hair slowly shifted to reveal a placid and smooth face.

It was Chiro... The woman was smiling.

Slamming into a muscular chest was Kagome's first indication that she had turned away, and she looked up to see Sheng. He was concerned.

...

He had known... Chiro had known... Sesshomaru had known, probably everyone in the o-shiro knew, and all of them... ... Was she that much of a fool? Was she so invaluable to be left in the dark?! Did they have **fun** watching her develop feelings for a man who would never return them?!

Having her chin tilted up by a weathered hand made it far too easy for the tears to leak from the corners of her eyes, and an immensely sympathetic look emerged on Sheng's face.

"Kagome," he began.

She balled her fists up, yanked herself away from him, and shrieked at the top of her lungs to the unyielding floor. She let loose any energy she wished, any noise she desired, and any suppressed feeling she never wanted in the first place. They were all freed, and ran wild like loose prisoners in unguarded confinements, destroying anything they wished on their way out. She screamed, long and hard, and when she was done with the single note everything was plunged into silence. She noticed Sheng and Sesshomaru in small barriers, protecting themselves from her energy, and she noticed how very empty she felt.

And that was it. She was very spent, and tired, and so very hurt. Being stared at didn't help, and she didn't want to be the center of unwanted attention despite the fact that she was shining like a star from loose and unsuppressed power. She yanked the nearby sliding door open so hard that it flew down the wall and derailed the next ten doors from their places, sending them clattering to the ground and tearing through walls.

"Kagome," came Sesshomaru's voice.

She barely heard him, and pretended like she didn't. She couldn't look at that man. She was disgusted, with everything. Mostly with herself though. She knew she was getting her hopes up. She knew they'd be crushed. Yet... She allowed it. She allowed herself to be weak, and for what? Kisses? Her stomach was in knots, and she looked in the opposite direction of the being she had grown too fond of. This was far worse than Inuyasha forsaking her weekly for Kikyo, a dead woman. She could handle that for as long as she did because there had never been anything more than a one sided crush established between the two of them. There weren't any steamy moment together, no feelings of opening up to one another, nothing she can say that came close to the time she spent with Sesshomaru...

...

The cool night felt very good, and she took its frozen invitation and walked down the icy steps for the outside. It was too cold to cry tonight, so it helped her bottle up the horrible feelings which had just flourished to life. Freeze them like a beauty wart until they'd fall out. Even the snow reaching up the legs of her hakama was okay, because the stinging of her skin was something to focus on rather than her feelings. She walked across the courtyard as a shortcut to her room, gathered her always packed things, turned around, and walked back out.

Ah-Un appeared surprised to have an early morning visitor come tromping for him through the snow. Kagome noted Sesshomaru's aura following her, and she stopped two feet from the dragon when her name was called again. Her name... It was like poison thanks to how many fond memories it brought up, though his tone had been thick and husky rather than quick and strict.

"Go away," she seethed, hiding her eyes with her outgrown bangs should any more servants or yōkai appear, which they were beginning to do. She supposed that flaring her energy wasn't the most discrete of feats in that place.

"I will not," he replied sternly, coming closer. The icy ring of an unsheathing sword had Kagome drawing hers as well and spinning on her heel through the clumped snow, ready to face him. She didn't want her determined expression ruined by her tears, but it was.

His face softened every so slightly when she turned on him, her energy fierce and her expression hardened to him. He had led her on false pretenses, and he damn well better have known it. It was truly pathetic how traumatized she was by this, but she would think about that later. Later was always a good time to think...

"I will not have you leaving these grounds," he began, automatically assuming a stance with his sword ready, "without finishing what we've started."

He wanted to fight her. He didn't care about the terms, or the grounds they stood on. He wanted a fight... To the death? Why not? He didn't need her, he had someone already in his bed. Why waste his time with her? That's why he hadn't been visiting, after all. What purpose, as a human miko, did she serve?

"Fine," she bit out, settling into her own stance. "If that's how disposable I am, then FINE!!" She barely noted how her anger mixed with her aura and energy, billowing to life in a form which reached for the sky like a bonfire and lit the whole area like it was day. The funny thing was that her aura abandoned its color. It was see through, like a heatwave, but it glowed.. "Do NOT expect me to go easy on you!"

The yōkai's face was a mask, as unreadable as the stars, and he nodded.

Her powers could sense everything on her. Her bow, her clothes, her sword, but especially her arrows, and she sent Sesshomaru dodging by firing them off without the bow. The bare tips of the fletchings remained poking out of the snow when they missed their target, and tiny shock waves rippled across the ground before fading, kicking up dry snow flakes. She was so angry that she was overusing her energy, but she didn't care. She needed to vent.

When she ran out of arrows Sesshomaru enveloped himself in his own power and charged her. Their auras clashed with their blades, both of them sparking like mini fireworks. She didn't step back from the blow though, and held his blade at bay.

Her energy shifted, and she knew what it was doing. The air around her grew colder, and the power coursing through her heated and seeped from her bones, her muscles, her very blood, and it compressed upon itself and grew hotter.

Sesshomaru merely had time to frown before she allowed the swelled energy to explode from her, performing the move she first discovered in front of Sheng. It hit him initially, but unlike the soldiers who first experienced this attack he could solidify his aura into a barrier, and he did that as quickly as possible.

When he fell back, she jumped forward, blade ready. She didn't expect his direction to change in midair though, and she watched as his right, sword bearing forearm lifted and collided into her chest above her breasts, sending her backwards. His left hand clasped around her throat before she hit the ground hard enough to sink into the snow.

Kagome was restrained, completely pinned, and her sword was at Sesshomaru's neck. They were at an impasse, and no one interrupted.

"Why not make your final move?" Sesshomaru asked her, sounding only mildly curious and nothing more.

She grimaced at him, her sword feeling heavier by the second with how it remained motionless above her.

"You may forfeit," he offered in a whisper. "And keep your life."

"Why don't you just crawl into bed and die there?" she almost growled at him. She was so sad that she was angry, and her anger with him made her sad. It was a vicious cycle she could never win, and one she couldn't break right now.

"If you wanted me dead," he began, cool as ice, "then I would be."

"I know that," she admitted, too infuriated and distraught to care about the snow melting into her hair.

"I know what you feel for me," he whispered, merely five inches from her face. "I have known it for a long time. And I will return those feelings, should you allow it."

Now the cold didn't matter. She was crying.

"Return them?" she asked, sounding calm but soon off the handle. "RETURN THEM?!"

Her powers flared, and he backed off so she could shoot to her feet and storm after him.

"HOW can you EVER return something you can NEVER feel?!" Those words ripped at her very soul as they came out. It hurt so much that it was soothing. "You are the walking dead, Sesshomaru! You live to show your father up, you kill anyone who stands in your way, and you have no friends because they're a weakness!" They were back to exchanging sword blows, her taking the lead and him mostly blocking, one handed. "You are so focused on being _what_ you are that you cannot be _who_ you are! You are the most stagnant and emotionally stunted being I have **ever** met!" She paused in her assault, and she swore that the words leaped from her before she knew what they were. "I should have never allowed myself to fall in love with you!"

He stared at her a moment. There was a huge silence in the area, despite the number of bodies which filled it, but her attention was on the daiyōkai alone.

He knew... He knew now, for sure, because she just told him...

"Why should I feel _anything_ for you?" she asked him, sword down but ready for anything. This hurt. She didn't want to say that, because it had been admitting her feelings to herself too. Now she had to contradict them. She had to tell herself and him why she shouldn't be hurt by this. "You treat me like an object, free to break because you think you can fix it. You can't fix a living being though, Sesshomaru, no matter your strength and no matter your sword techniques or status or heritage. I have stayed here for a full month, living with the knowledge that you were always nearby, and I **hated** it! You have abused me physically, mentally, even spiritually, Sesshomaru! How do you expect to EVER turn around and redeem yourself for that?!"

He was quiet.

She shook her head. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was like a nightmare. She wanted to wake up. She wanted so desperately for this to be over. The weight in her body and the throb of her wounded trust were too real to be a nightmare though.

"You don't need to redeem yourself though... I'm nothing in the eyes of a yōkai. I'm a human miko, which is worse than being a hanyō, and you hate your brother. I shouldn't expect anything else from you." She was pouring her heart out to eyes and ears which didn't care. It was oddly soothing though, no matter how much it made her cry. She wanted to talk. She _needed_ to talk. So she would. "I don't care about how powerful you are," she resumed, now speaking what came to mind. "I don't care how you carry yourself, how perfect you always look, how rich you are, and I definitely don't care how much land you own or how many forces you command, and all of that is supposed to be some point of value you have in the eyes of others. But, not to me. I may be a female, but I'm different, and I have a mind of my own, and you _hate_ that, don't you?" She sounded deranged in her own ears with the short laugh she gave, and she dropped her sword into the snow and lifted her arms with exasperation. "You know what, Sesshomaru? I'm done. I am so completely done with this bullshit that it's almost funny!" She had a smile on her face now, and didn't know why she still had tears leaking down her cheeks. "Congratulations, Inu no Taisho of the central domain, or whatever it's called. You have finally broken me. I just hope you know that my being broken does not represent anything good for you."

And she was done. She didn't want to fight, and after this there didn't seem much to live for, not while feeling the way she felt now. The thing she had worked to attain for four years and had admitted to herself in the last few days was now gone. Crumpled at her feet like a bird beaten by the storm. Everything she had lived, trained, and worked for was a lie. A lie she persisted in telling herself.

Taking a deep breath, she disobeyed Sheng. She didn't care who or what saw it, she needed to do this, or she would fully break. She summoned the crystal-like essence which represented her very soul, and allowed it to grow large enough to completely encase her. It felt so cold... It was usually so warm. She didn't know if it was because of the size, or for looking out of it from within, but instead of its usual blue it was completely clear. She was encased in ice. An ice which would kill her if it was cut.

"Finish this stupid battle, Sesshomaru," she ordered him, standing perfectly still. "Be the man you truly are, and show everyone here the lord you want to be! I forfeit, because I refuse to fight a cheater!"

She watched him. She had surrendered in a fight to the death, and waited for the final blow of fate. Despite everything though, fate deemed it appropriate that he sheath his sword and finish her off barehanded, and he stepped closer.

This was fine... It was fine, and it was all over. Perhaps her reincarnation would find happiness in life, five hundred years from now. A new miko who is given a clean slate. A new life, and a new beginning.

Kagome watched as he stepped to within arm's length, then closer. He passed harmlessly into her spirit without shattering it, without being rejected, and she felt herself pulled in against his chest and his arms fold around her back.

Her heart stopped in the reality-wrenching moment. She couldn't even call it a moment. This feeling wasn't bound by time, but by them.

"I am sorry."

She stared at the starry sky, and watched as the glass encasing them slowly shrank back into herself. She felt... Warmer. Her emotions began to thaw, no longer numb and ignored, and tears were streaming freely down her cheeks. She bit her lower lip to try and hold them back. Did he truly just apologize? To _her_? In front of so many people??

"Kagome, I need you to pull through this," he whispered very softly, a hand stroking the back of her head tenderly. "I cannot spend the rest of my days with a broken woman at my side."

...

"Stop tormenting me," she pleaded over his shoulder, choking on her words no matter how serious she wished to sound. "Please... Just stop."

He breathed in deeply, and she felt the weight of his exhale. Was this hard for him? "If love is a form of torment, then I have no choice but to make you suffer. I am sorry for that as well."

She bared her teeth to the sky, biting back sobs. This couldn't be happening. Not now... Why? Who hated her? Why did he have to even rub her back in a soothing fashion? **Why**?!

"Give me until summer," he requested. "I need your patience to redeem myself. If you give me time, then I will share all of mine with you. Indefinitely."

She blinked, and took her chin off his shoulder to rest the bridge of her nose on it instead. "... I... How can I trust you?"

"I do not want you to," he replied, the two of them still whispering. "Your trust is something I need to earn. I would never expect it from you under such circumstances." He held her tightly, giving her that insanely safe sensation, telling her that everything was fine though it wasn't. "Allow me to prove myself. I wish to court you, Kagome Higurashi. By summer, if you see me as a decent man and as someone who deserves your love and trust, then when you are ready, I wish to claim you as my mate."

Taking a deep breath, she pulled back enough to look into his face, not leaving the circle of his arms. She probably looked like an utter wreak, but he didn't seem to mind.

Sesshomaru was sad... He looked so very sad, and yet hopeful. That hope swelled inside of her, becoming contagious, and daylight broke through her darkened spirits. It was a small and seemingly foreign ray piercing the clouds of her roiling emotions, but it was there. Kami, it was there, and she felt her spirit flee from the storm to sit within that tiny beam.

She choked on a sob, covering her mouth with a hand. He lifted his arms, and cupping her face he wiped the tears away with his thumbs.

"I'll... think about it," she squeaked, thinking she sounded pathetic at she stared up at him. She bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I need to go though... I. ... I can't stay here."

He accepted this, and took his hands from her. She stood there for a second, staring at the ground, then grabbed her sword, sheathed it, and walked around him for Ah-Un, who hadn't been phased by the fighting in the least. She glanced over, and saw that the whole o-shiro population out there, more eyes adding themselves to the back of the crowd and heads turning to tell the newcomers what they had missed.

How stupid... She secured her things, and mounted the dragon who was apparently quite resilient to the cold. There was probably a difference between dragons and lizards... That was a good thing to think about rather than-

"Kagome."

She stiffened. It still hurt to hear him. She saw his leg come to a stand to her right though, and glanced to the side and up at him.

"I will find you a few days short of one month from now," he told her, his face calm but his eyes... They were almost pleading. She was sure that not everyone would have been able to see it, and no one but her could since his back was to them all, but she could. "I will need to know then if you require more time alone."

She nodded. The seal also needed to be strengthened by then.

"Ah-Un," Sesshomaru addressed in a normal voice.

"Wait," she interrupted. She was quiet for a moment. "... I'll see you in two weeks..."

She didn't look to see his expression, but the tone of his voice sounded lighter. "Take Kagome to her friends."

The dragon understood, and once he had shaken himself free of clinging snow he charged forward like a bounding puppy and leaped into the air.

She was leaving. She was going to see long missed friends, and she was going to be free of his presence. Despite how delightful that sounded, she glanced back before piercing the barrier of the floating o-shiro, and saw him watching her go.

The shield enveloped her, and after the typical annoying prickles from passing through it she found herself descending. She was leaving, and for some reason it made her very sad. She bent over to hug one of the great scaly necks, and remained like that even after Inuyasha found them and walked the rest of the way to the village at her side. He was soon firing off questions as to where she's been and who that inu who carried her off from Koga's place was.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" she began, voice lighter for being on the brink of tears again. "Can we... Not talk about that?"

The hanyō studied her face and the fake smile which was plastered on it, and seemed to understand.

"Keh!" he replied, crossing his arms and looking straight ahead. "Fine. But I expect to know within the week since Sango will work it out of you by tomorrow."

She smiled a tad more genuinely. "Thanks... You're a really good friend."

"I already know that," he scoffed.

"Hm," she hummed, sitting up and looking ahead to see the slayers village. Sesshomaru's mate... It sounded so fake, but... He said that. He wouldn't joke about something like that...

The little sunbeam of hope widened ever so slightly within her, and she wiped her face for the final time. It was going to be a long two weeks, but she was going to use them wisely. She was going to heal, and she was going to laugh, and she was going to play with Shippo and Rin, Ki and Sada, and bond with her friends again. She was going to live, and she was going to be happy. She promised herself that.

* * *

**(NOT THE END)**

* * *

**A/N:** For those of you wondering, there is indeed a **third part**. Why? Because this story is becoming open POV, that's why. Yes, you read that correctly, it's becoming _normal_! -is shocked- I'll bet that not many of you were expecting that ending though, eh? XD

Muse: "Yeah, about that..." -brushes off hands and feels accomplished- "That is SO them... I can't WAIT to write the third part!"

Logic: T-T

Muse: "Oh, come on! _I'm_ the emotion based one, _I_ should be crying!"

Logic: "It's so sad..."

Me: "It's about damn time..." -claps while sobbing- "I'm so fucking happy for them!"

Muse: :D "You're a weird chick..."

Anyway, there's a third part! It's called Requiem of Time, and there is not going to be another break in the story. In other words, the next part can be as long as I can stand to write this story. I have no idea how long it will be, but I have a feeling that I'm only halfway done with this story... So, no more sections. This is a three part story, and that's IT.

Muse: "Wanna bet?"

Me: -slams down a blank check- "Yes! And I'll win! How much money do you have?"

Muse: "... I fold."

Okay, I'm done talking. The new story is up right now, so go check it out! :D See ya there! Thanks for reading everyone!

-AD


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